San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Meeting - August 23, 2022

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) held a hybrid meeting on August 23, 2022, at City Hall, Room 400, beginning just after 9:45 AM (subject to minor adjustments). The commission considered a range of items including a workshop on the agency's design drought planning, approved the consent calendar (with one item removed), authorized several contracts and agreements, and heard public testimony. All votes were unanimous (4-0) unless otherwise noted.

Consent Calendar

• Item 10A (novation of Contract HH-1000R) was removed from the agenda before consideration.
• The remaining consent items (10B–10J) were approved without discussion. These included awarding a job order contract for general engineering, approving contract duration increases for water main replacements and sewer improvements, and authorizing plan specifications and awards for various infrastructure projects.

Public Comments & Testimony

• General Public Comment (Item 5): Four callers spoke. Francisco De Costa criticized the SFPUC for failing to learn from past federal investigations and alleged mishandling of community benefits. A caller requested a water supply update, noting it had been 49 days since the last update and system storage was just over 1 million acre-feet. Another caller urged the agency to prioritize reliability of water, sewer, and power for San Francisco residents and called for more transparent CleanPowerSF communications. John Rosa Pepe expressed disappointment that the design drought workshop was truncated and had only one-sided presentations, and urged withdrawal from the lawsuit against the Bay Delta plan.

• Communications (Item 6): A caller reported a broken link on the CleanPowerSF resource plan page and stressed the need for reliable electric service on Treasure Island. Another speaker questioned public access to the Hetch Hetchy bunkhouse.

• Design Drought Workshop (Item 7): Over 15 public comments were received. Environmental and fishing groups (Tuolumne River Trust, Friends of the River, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, NRDC, and others) largely supported modifying the design drought to reflect current demand and climate science. Speakers argued the current 8.5-year design drought is an outlier with a return period of 70,000 years. The Bay Area Council (Adrian Covert) disagreed that shortening the drought would benefit housing development, instead emphasizing the need for conservatism given climate uncertainty. Bosca (Tom Francis) urged caution, noting the design drought has been the backbone of reliable water supply planning for 30 years. Alameda County Water District (Ed Stevenson) provided a real-life example of increased reliance on SFPUC supplies during droughts.

Discussion Items

• Item 3: Adopt Renewed Findings for Hybrid Meetings – Approved after brief public comment.

• Item 4: Approval of Minutes (July 12, 2022) – Approved.

• Item 7: Workshop on Planning for Drought – The SFPUC Design Drought as a Stress Test – This was the major discussion item. Peter Dreckmeyer (Tuolumne River Trust) presented data from the Long-Term Vulnerability Assessment (LTVA) showing the design drought (8.5 years) has a return period of ~70,000 years, far exceeding known droughts. He argued that current demand (under 190 MGD) is much lower than planned, and that incorporating earlier runoff from climate change could create a water surplus. He requested the commission schedule an action item to reduce the design drought to 7.5 years. Steve Ritchie (Assistant GM for Water) responded that the design drought is a stress test, not a prediction, and that the consequences of running out of water are catastrophic. He emphasized the system’s junior water rights, limited alternative supplies, and the need to plan for two additional dry years after any drought. He showed operational examples from the 2012–2016 drought where the water bank dropped dangerously low. Commission President Moran noted that the design drought is a judgment based on experience and that return periods are descriptive but not predictive. Commissioner Jammy highlighted the importance of demand planning, stormwater capture, and on-site reuse. No formal action was taken, but the President indicated a future wrap-up session will synthesize all workshop findings.

• Item 8: Report of the General Manager – Subitems included quarterly audit (8A), budget status (8B), water capital improvements (8C), and Water System Improvement Program (8D). Staff reported positive financial projections for power and CleanPowerSF, but operating shortfalls for water and wastewater due to drought conservation and slower economic recovery. No formal action taken.

• Items 11, 12, 13: Approved as discussed below.

Key Outcomes

• Item 3 (Adopt Renewed Hybrid Meeting Findings): Approved 4-0.
• Item 4 (Approval of Minutes): Approved 4-0.
• Item 10 (Consent Calendar): Adopted (excluding 10A) 4-0.
• Item 11 (Joint Funding Agreement with USGS): Authorized the General Manager to execute a six-year agreement not-to-exceed $2,837,770 for data collection on reservoir elevations and releases. Approved 4-0.
• Item 12 (Treasure Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Design-Build Contract): Approved the General Manager’s determination to negotiate with the sole responsive bidder (PCL Stantech) after the other bid was deemed non-responsive (188% above budget). Approved 4-0.
• Item 13 (Licensing Agreement for Documentary “Time Has Many Voices”): Approved 4-0 to grant licenses to the filmmakers for nonprofit distribution, including potential PBS broadcast, for a five-year term at no cost. The film documents archaeological work at the Alameda Creek Watershed Center and the history of the Muwekma Ohlone tribe.
• Closed Session: The commission met in closed session regarding litigation (water right curtailment cases). No action taken in closed session, and the commission voted not to disclose discussions.