Project–At–A–Glance

WSIP Region
System Wide

Location
Various Locations

Current Status
Completed

Project Cost
$11M

In compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) for the Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) was certified by the San Francisco Planning Commission on October 30, 2008. That same day the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) adopted the report, which included a Phased WSIP Variant option.

Phased WSIP Variant

At the request of the SFPUC, the San Francisco Planning Department studied the Phased WSIP Variant as part of the environmental analysis. The Phased WSIP Variant establishes a mid-term planning milestone in 2018 when the SFPUC would reevaluate water demands through 2030 in the context of then-current information, analysis and available water resources. The SFPUC currently delivers approximately 265 million gallons of water per day from local watersheds (Peninsula and Alameda Creek) and the Tuolumne River Watershed. By 2030, demand on the SFPUC system is expected to increase to 300 million gallons of water per day.

The Phased WSIP Variant would meet the 2018 purchase requests of 285 mgd by capping purchases at 265 mgd. The remaining 20 mgd would be met through water conservation, recycling and groundwater use - 10 mgd by wholesale customers and 10 mgd in San Francisco. Before 2018, the SFPUC and its 27 wholesale customers will engage in a new planning process to reevaluate water system demands and supply options, including conducting additional studies and environmental reviews necessary to address water supply needs after 2018.

Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR)

After nearly three years of thorough analysis by the San Francisco Planning Department and dozens of public meetings across Northern California, the final eight-volume PEIR included responses to more than 1,300 individual comments about the proposed regional Water System Improvement Program.

The PEIR is the environmental review process needed to analyze the potential environmental effects of large-scale plans or programs. The PEIR focuses on the big picture issues associated with the program, rather than on the details of each project or activity within it. The PEIR conforms with the CEQA, requiring the decision-making agency and the public be informed about any significant environmental effects of a project or program, and provides ways to avoid or reduce those environmental effects before that project or program is approved.

View The Final Program Environmental Impact Report

View the Phased WSIP Variant FAQ