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."

"If we had a schedule, we would share it, Tim Ramirez, division manager of natural resources and lands management at SFPUC, said of the proposed Alameda Creek Watershed Center. 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."

"Some Sunol residents may find themselves completely unfamiliar with the temple's place in Bay Area history because it has been largely inaccessible to the public for about a decade, said Connie DeGrange, a 45-year resident. 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."

The Sunol Water Temple, a 1910 Beaux Arts-style pergola built as a memorial to the Bay Area's major watersheds, supplied half of San Francisco's water through three subterranean pipelines until the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct replaced it in 1934. Designated a California Historical Engineering Landmark in 1976, the temple has been largely inaccessible to the public for approximately a decade. The San Francisco Public Utility Commission began planning a welcome center and Alameda Creek Watershed Center at the site over 17 years ago, but the project remains incomplete despite significant resource investment. Local residents express concern that younger generations have never experienced the historically significant structure or learned about its importance to Bay Area water history.

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