Dick Morten
May 17, 2026

For over two decades, I have advocated for expanding the Auxiliary Water Supply System, an unlimited saltwater supply for firefighting. Proposition A falls well short of an unlimited citywide water supply, relying on drinking water.

Don’t fall for the “promises” in Proposition A. VOTE NO!

After the 1906 earthquake, most of the damage and over 3000 deaths were caused by catastrophic firestorms. The lack of water hindered efforts to halt raging fires. In 1913, City Hall wisely developed the Auxiliary Water Supply System (AWSS) for the northeast quadrant of San Francisco, where most San Franciscans lived.

AWSS is a web of seismically hardened pipes, pumps, reservoirs, and hydrants that provides an unlimited supply of saltwater to fight firestorms. It is also used in major fires.

Unfortunately, for 15 neighborhoods from 12 Avenue in the Richmond, all of the Sunset to the county line, and across the city to Hunters Point Bayview, AWSS was not built out. AWSS lacks full coverage or has no AWSS coverage in Supervisorial districts 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, and 11.

After many years of bungled ideas and false starts, the SFPUC hopes to piggyback on emergency firefighting bonds to repair deteriorating drinking water pipes, avoiding the use of ratepayer funds, and pushing expansion onto property taxes. VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION A.

Remember, in the Loma Prieta earthquake, there were major fires in the Marina and the South of Market. Components of AWSS saved the Marina. The fire department’s fire expert estimates that following a major quake, over 150 major fires would overwhelm the 45 fire engines. Remember 2025, Los Angeles fires lacked an adequate water supply and neglected maintenance of firefighting infrastructure. San Francisco needs citywide AWSS expansion to avoid a conflagration, too.

In 2010, 2014, and 2020, voters approved Earthquake bond measures totaling $312 million, promising with each bond expansion of AWSS. After 15 years and hundreds of millions of dollars, the SFPUC and fire department have not added a mile of AWSS pipe or hydrants to the 15 unprotected, at-risk neighborhoods.

Proposition A plans to use drinking water rather than abundant saltwater for disaster firefighting. The plan ignores state law allowing suburban water customers to claim a third of the city’s drinking water in a major disaster. VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION A.

The lack of urgency is scary. The USGS states the probability of a substantial earthquake and subsequent firestorms in the next 30 years is:

72% that an earthquake measuring magnitude 6.7

51% that an earthquake measuring magnitude 7

20% that an earthquake measuring magnitude 7.5

The seismic clock continues to tick toward the next Big One! We are not prepared for firestorms.

Bond measures require a two-thirds vote. Your vote really counts! Send the message to City Hall to execute citywide AWSS.

VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION A.

Please forward to your San Francisco friends. Thank you;

Dick Morten