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Candlestick Droughtrage Update: SFPUC Now Says Lennar Is Required to Use Drinking Water

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The drought brings confusing times, like which bottled water brands to despise and whether or not to eat almonds. After recent reports that Candlestick Point developer Lennar Urban has eschewed free recycled water and instead opted to blast Candlestick demolition debris with firehoses full of drinking water, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has issued a statement explaining that Lennar has been doing the right thing all along. In the Contra Costa Times droughtragey scoop, a Lennar spokesman explained that the developer was actually forbidden from using recycled water to manage dust on the demo site. SFPUC spokesman Tyrone Jue countered to the paper that Lennar misinterpreted the rules, and that recycled water is indeed authorized for such purposes. Whoopsie. Jue just sent out a clarification taking all that back. "The use of potable water is both authorized and necessary for aerial dust mitigation activities," he writes in the statement.

Here's the full statement:

CLARIFICATION ON WATER USAGE FOR CANDLESTICK DUST MITIGATION PROGRAM The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) issued the following clarification on Friday: Due to state public health regulations, the use of recycled water is not authorized for aerial dust mitigation efforts at the demolition of Candlestick Park.

The use of potable water is both authorized and necessary for aerial dust mitigation activities.

The SFPUC had notified Lennar Corp. last fall that state law prohibits the use of recycled water in aerial spraying to control dust.

Lennar said it will continue to work with the SFPUC to determine those work activities where the use of recycled water may be feasible. The number of activities where recycled water will be permissible is expected to increase after the demolition phase of the work.

Lennar noted that its demolition contractor is attempting to conserve water through the use of booster pumps and misting nozzles, which more effectively disperse pressurized mist in the work area and minimizes water usage. By dispersing the water over a larger area, runoff waste also is minimized.

· Water Wars [Curbed SF]
· Wired's Guide to Produce That Won't Make the Drought Worse [Wired]
· Droughtrage: Candlestick Rubble Is Being Hosed Down With Drinking Water [Curbed SF]
· Despite Drought, Demo Crews Douse Candlestick Park Rubble With Drinking Water [Contra Costa Times]

Candlestick Park

490 Jamestown Ave., San Francisco, CA 94124