Sunol Water Temple educational center remains unopened after 17 years of planning and millions spent

"Built in 1910, the Sunol Water Temple is a Beaux Arts-style pergola inspired by the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli, Italy, serving as a memorial to the confluence of the Bay Area's major watersheds. Underneath the temple's Corinthian columns, three subterranean pipelines from Arroyo de la Laguna, Alameda Creek and Pleasanton supplied half of San Francisco's water supply during the early 20th century."

"People haven't been there in 10 years. There are people who are in Sunol who have never experienced it. There are kids who have never learned the importance of it. It's a magnificent structure to represent a pivotal project to California, bringing water to San Francisco and the Bay Area."

"If we had a schedule, we would share it. The plan has gone through different iterations over the years, but I definitely think there's the gusto. The fact we've invested so many resources shows our gusto."

The Sunol Water Temple, built in 1910, is a Beaux Arts-style pergola that served as a memorial to the confluence of major Bay Area watersheds. Three subterranean pipelines beneath the temple supplied half of San Francisco's water during the early 20th century until the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct replaced it as the primary water source in 1934. The American Society of Civil Engineers designated it a California Historical Engineering Landmark in 1976. The San Francisco Public Utility Commission began planning an Alameda Creek Watershed Center welcome center in 2009, but the project remains incomplete after 17 years and millions of dollars invested. The temple has been largely inaccessible to the public for approximately a decade, preventing residents and children from experiencing this significant historical structure.

Read at The Mercury News