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San Francisco has already had great success in implementing a number
of projects and programs that embody the OneWaterSF philosophy. Yet
many challenges lie ahead. Climate uncertainty gives us the potential
for more frequent and prolonged droughts that threaten the stability
of our existing water supplies, as well as periods of intense storms that
can overwhelm our sewer system. Expanding water recycling and reuse
programs will result in increased energy requirements for advanced
treatment. And, in California, we are continually challenged by the need
to plan for disruptions in service that can occur from natural disasters
such as earthquakes or wildfires in our watersheds.
OneWaterSF challenges each of us to adopt a new way of doing
business. The holistic approach requires collaboration across traditional
organizational boundaries within the SFPUC and with external partners,
so that our programs and projects contribute to the OneWaterSF
Vision. It requires us to utilize advances in technology and encourages
innovation in problem solving so that projects and programs optimize
our operations, and we are more thoughtful about how we harness
and utilize our finite resources. With OneWaterSF, we strengthen our
common purpose. These approaches are consistent with the SFPUC’s
2020 Strategic Plan.
With OneWaterSF, we can maximize the efficient use of our resources
and recognize the potential of all resources within our system. It also
allows us to look holistically at our system for efficiencies, project
synergies and opportunities to harness clean energy, and to match the
right water for the right use. If we view future challenges through this
lens, new opportunities for innovative resource management emerge.
The next phase of OneWaterSF activities will focus on implementation,
with the development of the OneWaterSF Implementation Roadmap.
The Roadmap will:
For example, advances in water treatment technology allow us
to purify water to levels that weren’t possible 20 years ago. Under
OneWaterSF, these advances provide an opportunity to explore
purified water as an option for directly increasing our water supplies.
A holistic approach to stormwater management under OneWaterSF,
coupled with the latest water treatment technology, allows us
to consider opportunities for collecting rainwater for both nonpotable and potable purposes. This innovative view can benefit both
water supply and protect the quality of the Bay and Ocean waters.
Additionally, resource recovery has the potential to harness highenergy resources from the wastewater stream so that we can utilize
these resources to supplement energy requirements, including those
that may be needed for advanced water purification processes. These
opportunities become obvious through OneWaterSF.
Develop recommendations related to research and
Identify new opportunities for projects and
programs under OneWaterSF;
development;
Suggest partnerships for research or project
implementation; and
Identify policy needs to help further OneWaterSF.
The Roadmap will also prioritize short-term and long-term activities
and will be designed as a living document to enable the SFPUC to
continue expanding the OneWaterSF approach. The Roadmap will
be the next step in advancing OneWaterSF to help the SFPUC fulfill
our shared vision of creating a more resilient and reliable future for
San Francisco.
Transbay Transit Center (image courtesy of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority [TJPA] and Project Architect: Pelli Clarke Pelli)
Advancing OneWaterSF