San Francisco would receive millions for urgently needed sewer improvement and "green" stormwater projects under proposed legislation

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Mayor Gavin Newsom praised SBXX 1, the Water Supply Reliability appropriations bill announced today by California State Senate President pro Tem Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, citing its prudent and timely investments to address water challenges throughout California, all with existing bond dollars. Representing the City, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) General Manager Ed Harrington joined Senator Perata and Speaker Bass to show San Francisco’s support for the bill.

"This bill will fairly and responsibly distribute a portion of California’s voter-approved funds to address urgent needs and promote the long-term interests of California’s precious water resources," said Mayor Newsom. "In addition to funding water supply priorities amidst a statewide drought, this bill will also help address immediate flooding and environmental needs for San Francisco and other California cities with aging combined sewer systems."

SBXX 1 contains $20,000,000 in Proposition 1E Stormwater Flood Management bond funding, approved by voters in 2006, to fund streetscape, sewer and other improvements for San Francisco and other cities’ aging combined wastewater/stormwater collection and treatment systems. More than 70% of San Francisco’s 900 miles of sewers are more than 70 years old, and many are at risk for failure and badly in need of replacement. Parts of Sacramento are also served by a combined sewer system.

San Francisco has requested Proposition 1E funds to design and construct projects that will reduce flooding, improve stormwater collection and treatment and reduce untreated discharges into San Francisco Bay or the Pacific Ocean. In addition to sewer and treatment plant improvements, many of these "green" projects could include daylighting underground creeks that flood under large storms, strategically placing cisterns to harvest stormwater, building green streets with permeable paving that reduce and treat stormwater, installing green roofs and building multi-purpose ball fields that collect and treat stormwater.

"It’s time to invest the funds that California voters have already approved for water supply reliability and quality improvements and environmental restoration," said Newsom.

The SFPUC is California’s third-largest water utility, providing reliable, high quality drinking water to more than 2.4 million Bay Area residents through the Hetch Hetchy regional water system. The SFPUC also collects and treats San Francisco’s wastewater and stormwater and provides energy to meet the City’s municipal and public services through hydropower, solar power and other renewable energy resources.

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