Opening the Golden Gate: San Francisco PUC's Sewer System Master Plan Uses the Five Keys of Management Success to Unlock Current and Future Challenges

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) Wastewater Enterprise's mission is to protect public health, public safety, and the environment by providing safe, reliable, and cost-effective and efficient collection, treatment, and disposal of wastewater and storm water. To satisfy this mission, the Sewer System Master Plan (SSMP) goals, objectives, and evaluation criteria were developed using a framework based on sustainability, which is defined in their Sustainability Plan as “the framework through which SFPUC will responsibly manage the resources under its care, protect public health and balance its social and environmental responsibilities to the citizens and community, while providing cost effective services to its ratepayers.” The SSMP sets a management example by linking its goals and objectives to the Ten Attributes of Effectively Managed Water Sector Utilities (Ten Attributes). Using the framework of sustainability and the Ten Attributes, this paper will highlight this ground-breaking SSMP, which tackled such broad issues as sea level rise, environmental justice, and repairing sewers beneath some of the nation's most famous streets.