San Franscisco was supplied by the Spring Valley Water authority. Multiple efforts to buy this company by the city failed.
James Phelan, became mayor in 1897 and advocated the use of the Hetch Hetchy valley as a permanent source of water, but multiple applications were denied.
In 1906, San Francisco burned for three days as the water supply was disrupted by the great earthquake. This raised the urgency for a better water supply.