Bay Area Earthquake Impacts and Earthquake Impacts on Utilities and Transportation SystemsInfrastructure Interdependencies Workshop I – Utilities and Transportation Systems

Danielle Hutchings, ABAG Earthquake and Hazards Program Coordinator

January 31, 2012

We live in earthquake country!

Seven faults are capable of a M6.7 or larger earthquake.

Source: USGS

Earthquake Shaking – Hayward Fault

Earthquake Shaking – San Andreas

Regional Water and Wastewater System• 100+ water retailers• 6,000-10,000 water pipeline

breaks or major leaks in Hayward fault earthquake• Compared to 507 in Loma Prieta

• Hetch-Hetchy aqueducts, EBMUD aqueducts, South Bay aqueduct, and numerous local pipelines cross the Hayward fault.• Improvements have been made to

many of these systems at fault crossings

Regional Water System and the Delta• 75% of water supplied by

agencies that get all or part of water from the Delta or have aqueducts passing through the Delta

• 50 Delta levee failures in Hayward fault earthquake

• Export of fresh water disrupted for several years due to a major earthquake

• Some water districts lack alternative sources of water (e.g. CCWD)

• Many other utilities located within the Delta

Source: 2008 Delta Risk Management Strategy, ABAG 2009 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan

2004 sunny day Jones Tract levee failure

High shaking Liquefaction Hazard Earthquake fault0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Roadway (miles)

Transit (miles)

Rail

Bridges and In-terchanges

Regional Transportation System• Eight toll bridges• 2,000 state owned

and 2,000 locally owned overpasses, interchanges, smaller bridges

• 20,800 miles of highways and roads

• 9,000 miles of bus routes

• 750 miles of bikeways• 5 commuter ferry

lines

Regional Transportation System• 1,700 predicted road

closures• Caldecott BART tunnel

expected to take 2+ years to restore full service

• Major susceptibility of roads, bridge approaches, railways, airport runways, and ports to liquefaction

Liquefaction Hazard – M6.9 San Andreas fault

Expected Road Closures – Hayward fault

Expected Road Closures – 1906 repeat

Energy – Electric Power, Natural Gas and Petroleum Fuels

• Most of the electric power routed to the East Bay travels through two transmission stations in Moraga and El Sobrante• Circuit breakers have all been replaced, the bushings may not be

able to withstand the expected shaking

• Extensive damage to gas and electric distribution system expected because of building damage, shaking and liquefaction

• High proportion of customer initiated gas shut-off

Communications and IT Systems• Economy relies heavily on

communications and cyber systems

• Network servers are not considered essential facilities and may be housed in vulnerable buildings

• Loss of power will increase downtime

• Temporary cellular tower that can be deployed quickly