San Francisco currently pumps sewage and stormwater from all over the City to two central locations where it is treated and "disposed." The City's centralized approach relies on a massive infrastructure of tunnels, pipes and pumps that consumes energy and costs millions of dollars to maintain. This system causes noxious smells and sewage overflows that burden residents of the southeastern part of the City and pollute San Francisco Bay. There is a better way!

SWAle identifies and promotes technologies that turn "waste" water and its treatment into public beautification projects, ground water recharge, wildlife habitat and environmental education.

The rebuilding and modernization of San Francisco's sewage and stormwater infrastructure offers a once in a generation opportunity to address long standing problems with its approach to the most basic of municipal functions. Today, stormwater and sewage are considered waste to be mixed together and quickly pumped downstream for treatment and ultimate disposal into the Bay or ocean. This leads to a host of problems:

• Aggravation of environmental justice concerns in Bayview Hunters Point, where 80% of the San Francisco's sewage and stormwater is treated in an outdated plant that brings with it the continuing burden of odors, flooding, and blight;
• Hundreds of millions of gallons of annual overflows of minimally treated sewage into the Bay and Ocean during moderate and heavy rainstorms;
• Hydrological starvation of the west side aquifer that feeds Lake Merced and Pine Lake;
• Increasing demands for capital intensive and ecologically unsustainable infrastructure facilities; and
• Missed opportunities for reclamation of sewage and stormwater for use in neighborhood beautification, habitat expansion, and environmental education.

The new master plan will chart a 30-year course for the system, offering an unprecedented opportunity to embrace a forward looking alternative that transforms what is now a waste collection and disposal system into a resource reclamation and reuse system.

Seven Goals for San Francisco’s Sewage System Master Plan

SWAle has developed the following seven key policy goals that are based on the overarching principle that all water is a resource and which we believe must form the basis of the new Sewer Master Plan. The Seven Goals, which are discussed in detail in an accompanying white paper are:

1. Redress the environmental injustices created by the last Master Plan;
2. Continually and significantly reduce Pollutant loading to the Bay and Ocean;
3. Minimize the volume of water entering the system for treatment;
4. Build in reliability and flexibility into the system in order to respond to catastrophic events and address water supply issues;
5. Provide environmental benefits;
6. Take proactive steps to address the impacts of climate change; and
7. Achieve economic and environmental sustainability.

Endorsing Organizations:
Arc Ecology

Bayview Office of Community Planning

Clean Water Action

Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association

Friends of the Urban Forest

India Basin Neighborhood Association

Literacy for Environmental Justice

Madrina Group

Mission Creek Conservancy

Neighborhood Parks Council

Plant*SF

San Francisco Baykeeper

San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

San Francisco Tomorrow

Sierra Club, San Francisco Chapter

Transportation for a Livable City

Treasure Island Wetlands Project

SWAle's work to improve the way the City manages its wastewater will:

• Improve the safety of water-contact recreation
• Safeguard the health of those who consume Bay-caught seafood
• Foster a nature-based approach to wastewater management that prevents pollution, creates wildlife habitat, provides open space amenities and environmental education opportunities and provides a sustainable source of water for landscaping.

To accomplish this, a successful plan will do the following:

• Reduce CSOs by reducing inputs into San Francisco's combined sewage and stormwater system. Means to accomplish this include:
  • Reducing sewage flows to the central system through conservation, elimination of flows from outside San Francisco, and using localized plants to produce recycled water near its point of use;
  • Separating the sewage and stormwater infrastructures where possible
  • Allowing for the diversion of stormwater for beneficial uses such as green boulevards, cisterns that capture rooftop runoff, recharging of groundwater aquifers, and industrial uses such as cement manufacture and vehicle washing;
  • Keeping rainwater out of the sewage system using infiltration strategies such as reduction of impermeable pavement;
  • Desynchronization of stormwater flows to the treatment plant and CSO pipes.
  • Assure the adequate treatment of potentially contaminated stormwater flows through the use of constructed wetlands, vegetated swales, mechanical separators, sand filters, and other means.
• Change codes and regulations to allow the implementation of green infrastructure strategies such as disconnection of roof downspouts from sewer pipes to allow rooftop catchment, etc., and elimination of pollution sources, such as zinc roofs.
• Effect changes in wastewater management that will improve quality of life and provide multiple benefits, prioritizing impacted neighborhoods, like the Bayview.