Goodbye Water Tower

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) will begin upgrading the Potrero Heights Reservoir at 22nd Street between Carolina and Wisconsin streets this month.

The steel water tank and pump station will be removed soon and are no longer needed due to the addition of a water pipeline at the McLaren Tanks.

The reservoir, built in 1897, is the fourth oldest in the city and has a capacity of 1 million gallons. The tank and pump station were added in 1950 to supplement water service to the expanding community.

In 1996, it was determined that the reservoir itself was structurally inadequate and in need of seismic upgrades to satisfy current codes. The SFPUC plans to remove the reservoir roof, reinforce the columns for seismic durability, and upgrade the piping and electrical systems.

The new roof will be reinforced concrete instead of wood and will raise about 2-3 feet. The SFPUC will also construct a 10-foot maintenance roadway around the reservoir to provide service crews greater access, and will be removing the chain link fence and installing a vinyl-clad non-climbable fence.