Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s Pulgas Water Temple, a celebrated monument to San Francisco’s regional water system, was honored on May 8, 2025, with the most prestigious designation for historic water infrastructure in North America, joining the ranks of historic water heritage sites such as the Hoover Dam and the Chicago Water Tower.
The American Water Works Association (AWWA) is honoring the temple with the Water Landmarks Award, which recognizes sites over 50 years old that have played a direct and significant role in water supply, treatment, distribution or technological development. Completed in 1938, the temple marks the point where water from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in the Sierra Nevada first reached the Peninsula, flowing into Crystal Springs Reservoir. It fulfilled the long-held dream of providing San Francisco with a safe, reliable water supply after decades of scarcity and inadequate sources.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s Pulgas Water Temple, a celebrated monument to San Francisco’s regional water system, was honored on May 8, 2025, with the most prestigious designation for historic water infrastructure in North America, joining the ranks of historic water heritage sites such as the Hoover Dam and the Chicago Water Tower.
The American Water Works Association (AWWA) is honoring the temple with the Water Landmarks Award, which recognizes sites over 50 years old that have played a direct and significant role in water supply, treatment, distribution or technological development. Completed in 1938, the temple marks the point where water from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in the Sierra Nevada first reached the Peninsula, flowing into Crystal Springs Reservoir. It fulfilled the long-held dream of providing San Francisco with a safe, reliable water supply after decades of scarcity and inadequate sources.
