Two Water Temples ... Why?!

The Bay Area's two water temples can be an unexpected finding if you stumble upon one. Stately, round, and featuring tall stone columns, the open-air structures look like they've been plucked right from ancient Rome. Bay Curious listener Will Hoffknecht wanted to know why these monuments exist and look the way they do. KQED’s Katherine Monahan traces their story back to the European colonization of San Francisco, and finds discontent about what they symbolize around our state.

*This episode has been updated to include that the SFPUC is constructing an interpretive center at the Sunol Water temple and is working with the Muwekma Ohlone Nation to include an exhibit about their history.

Additional Reading:

Triumph or Insult? The Complicated Legacy of the Bay Area’s Water Temples

Read a transcript of this episode

Watch: Hetch Hetchy: To Restore Or Not

Archival material about Hetch Hetchy from the National Archives

Sign up for our newsletter

Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest

Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts

This story was reported by Katherine Monahan. This episode of Bay Curious was made by Olivia Allen-Price, Bianca Taylor, Katrina Schwartz and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldana, Maha Sanad and Holly Kernan.