Historical Use of Recycled Water
San Francisco’s use of recycled water dates back to the early 1900s when the Golden Gate Park area was transformed from “great sand and waste” to a garden spot through the application of partially treated wastewater and groundwater. In the 1930s, the McQueen Treatment Plant was constructed in the Park to provide secondary-treated recycled water to irrigate Golden Gate Park. This practice continued until 1978 when the McQueen plant was shut down because it could not meet the new health standards for irrigation use.
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| Historic Map of Golden Gate Park |
Current Use of Recycled Water
In 2004, the SFPUC contributed funds to the North San Mateo County Sanitation District (a subsidiary of Daly City) towards the upgrade of their secondary-level wastewater treatment plant to produce tertiary-level recycled water. This facility currently serves three golf courses (Lake Merced Golf Club, Olympic Club, and the San Francisco Golf Club), two of which are located partially in San Francisco. The use of recycled water at these locations replaces groundwater previously being used for irrigation.
Efforts to Expand Recycled Water Use
The City and County of San Francisco have undertaken a number of efforts to expand the use of recycled water for approved applications to help diversify the City’s water supply portfolio. The City’s guiding documents for recycled water include:
Golf courses near Lake Merced
- San Francisco 1991 Reclaimed Water Use Ordinances 390-91, 391-91 (amended in 1994 by Ordinance 393-94), and 175-91: These ordinances require development of a plan for expanding recycled water use, dual-plumbing systems in certain new construction and building remodels, and requires recycled water use (or other nonpotable water source) for soil compaction and dust control.
- San Francisco 1997 Sustainability Plan: This plan sets recycled water use as a priority action for effective water supply planning.
- SFPUC 2000 Resolution on Water Resources Policies (No. 00-0110): Encourages the use of all water resources by the City (and the SFPUC wholesale customers), including recycled water.
- SFPUC 2004 Water System Improvement Program: Allocates funding to develop recycled water projects in the City.
- SFPUC 2005 Urban Water Management Plan: Identifies recycled water as a method to provide adequate water supplies to meet the needs of both existing and future water customers.
- SFPUC 2006 Recycled Water Master Plan: The RWMP identifies where and how San Francisco could most feasibly develop recycled water in the City and provides a strategy for implementing the recycled water projects.
Currently, the San Francisco Recycled Water Program includes three proposed projects: Sharp Park Recycled Water Project, Westside Recycled Water Project, and Harding Park Recycled Water Project. Planning for each of these projects is currently underway and the SFPUC is evaluating the feasibility of additional projects.
