Group Seeking to Tear Down Hetch Hetchy Launches Petition Drive for November Ballot

The threat of losing the Hetch Hetchy clean water and power system that serves 2.5 million Bay Area residents and businesses took a dangerous step closer to reality with supporters launching a petition drive to qualify a measure for the November ballot in San Francisco. The Bay Area Council has been a strong opponent of past efforts to eliminate Hetch Hetchy and is working with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, our members and a diverse coalition of business and community leaders to fight back the current effort. But recent polling by EMC Research shows that proponents of tearing down Hetch Hetchy can win in November unless there is a well-funded campaign to inform voters about the true intent of the measure, which is positioned under the pleasant guise of increasing water conservation. What the measure doesn’t state is that San Francisco and the Bay Area are already among the most miserly water users in the state, and that removing Hetch Hetchy would cost more than $10 billion, dramatically increase the region’s vulnerability to water shortages and drought and do away with a major source of clean energy.  To participate in the Council’s effort to protect Hetch Hetchy, contact Policy Vice President Matt Regan at mregan@bayareacouncil.org.