SFPUC presents new water-supply chapter to the Climate Action Plan

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission staff presented the new water‑supply chapter of the city’s Climate Action Plan at the Sept. 26 meeting of the Commission on the Environment, describing a ‘‘one water’’ approach that links conservation, reuse and new local supplies.

Charles Sheehan introduced Manisha Kothari and Julie Ortiz, who outlined three strategies: (1) invest in demand‑management and conservation programs, (2) develop and implement water‑supply augmentation (groundwater, recycled water, on‑site reuse and storage), and (3) pilot innovative technologies to reduce use and produce new supply. Julie Ortiz noted the city’s long‑running conservation program and annual conservation planning process; Manisha Kothari described on‑site reuse requirements for new buildings over 100,000 square feet and progress on the Westside recycled water project to irrigate parks.

Kothari also described the alternative-supply planning program — exploring groundwater, municipal‑scale recycled water for irrigation, desalination and purified water treatment — and highlighted infrastructure work such as an average of about nine miles of pipe replacement per year to reduce water loss. Commissioners asked about coordination with other Bay Area agencies that receive Hetch Hetchy water; staff said San Francisco uses conservation messaging and partnership through an agency that represents wholesale purchasers.

Presenters said the water chapter is intended to diversify supplies while keeping the gravity-driven regional system as the primary source, and to balance environmental flows and operational constraints as droughts become more frequent.