Only one coastal city has a sewer system that must handle stormwater as well as wastewater. San Francisco's efforts to adapt its combined sewer-stormwater system has put it on the vanguard of the city's climate adaptation efforts.
"Using combined systems was common practice for urban sewers built before the turn of the 20th century, said [San Francisco Public Utilities Commission] PUC General Manager Harlan Kelly Jr., when wastewater and rainfall both were typically dumped into nearby bodies of water," reports Dominic Fracassa for the San Francisco Chronicle on Oct. 21.
Because the city's sewer system can be easily overwhelmed during heavy downpours, and is vulnerable due to king tides and sea level rise, all of which will become more intense due to climate change, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which provides retail drinking water and wastewater services to the city of San Francisco, is at the forefront of climate adaptation efforts.
The PUC’s improvement program will be rolled out in phases through 2032. The improvements themselves — everything from replacing outdated sewer pipes to raising critical electrical systems in treatment plants in anticipation of the higher sea waters — are designed to respond to how San Francisco’s climate could look in the year 2100.
Another critical element of the PUC plan is an ambitious program of installing bioretention or rain gardens to divert stormwater from the sewer system and allow it to be absorbed into the ground. "[B]y allowing natural processes to take over the work we've been building infrastructure to handle, operations and maintenance costs also fall," according to a 2012 study on green infrastructure co-authored by the American Society of Landscape Architects.
In August, Fracassa reported on a ribbon-cutting by the PUC for the first of the eight rain gardens planned for the Ingleside district, an investment of $7.3 million.
FULL STORY: SF embarking on major projects to bolster sewer system

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Santa Barbara Could Build Housing on County Land
County supervisors moved forward a proposal to build workforce housing on two county-owned parcels.

San Mateo Formally Opposes Freeway Project
The city council will send a letter to Caltrans urging the agency to reconsider a plan to expand the 101 through the city of San Mateo.

A Bronx Community Fights to Have its Voice Heard
After organizing and giving input for decades, the community around the Kingsbridge Armory might actually see it redeveloped — and they want to continue to have a say in how it goes.
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