Friends of Lake Merced has reviewed the current proposal for development of recycled water in San Francisco, the only urban county in California lacking such a program.  The Public Utilities Commission recently presented the current version of their Integrated Water Resources Plan.  Included is a section on recycled water that falls far short of acceptable performance in several ways:
 
The Recycled Water Market Assessment (Draft, 8/1/2003), prepared by RMC Engineering for Cheryl Munoz, Manager of the PUC's own Recycled Water Master Plan, estimated demand for recycled water at 12.6 million gallons per day (mg/d) in 2003, 18.2 mg/d by 2020/2030.  The current proposal is to generate just 4.1 mg/d, less than 1/3 of the 2003 estimate, and just 22.5% of the 2020/2030 estimated demand.  
 
The State of California’s goal for recycled water production in 2030 is 1.5 million acre-feet per year (maf/yr).  That translates to approximately 1,335 mg/d statewide, or 23% of available municipal wastewater.  The RMC report translates into 15% of dry-weather wastewater throughput in the two San Francisco treatment plants in 2003, increasing to 21.7% in 2020/2030, a level by and large consistent with statewide goals.  The current proposal represents less than 5% of available resource, less than one-quarter of the State goal.  
 
The State estimates that approximately 25% of new capacity built after 2002 will be applied to indirect potable reuse.  Despite the several additional advantages to this application in San Francisco, the current proposal gives no consideration to this category of use.
 
The State estimates that building the statewide capacity will cost in the range $9 - $11 billion.  That translates to a range of $6.7 to $8.2 million per mg/d capacity.  The Daly City plant, with 2.8 mg/d capacity, cost just $7.5 million, or just $2.7 million per mg/d capacity, well under the projected statewide average.  The current proposal is for $124.9 million for 4.1 mg/d capacity, or $30.5 million per mg/d capacity.  
 
The State estimates operating costs at $300 per acre-ft of recycled water.  Daly City’s costs are a little higher than this average, about $327 per acre-ft.  Estimates in the current proposal exceed this level, at $565 per acre-ft, by nearly twice the statewide estimate.  
 
Finally, the Daly City plant was approved in March 2002; just two years later the plant became operational, providing recycled water to three local area golf courses.  The current PUC proposal states that seven years will be required to construct the first facility in San Francisco.
 
To summarize, this proposal from the PUC produces recycled water at a rate less than one-fourth of the statewide goal, with an investment four to five times the State's projected requirement, and operating costs nearly twice the statewide estimates, and requires more than three times the normal implementation period.  
 
Friends of Lake Merced is a staunch advocate for developing an effective recycling program.  However, there are many in San Francisco who feel that this is poor use of scarce capital funds.  Unfortunately, given the current proposal there is substantial basis for this claim.

In order to overcome those concerns we encourage support for the following action program:

1)  Adoption of the original demand estimates for recycled water as presented in the PUC’s Recycled Water Market Assessment (August 1, 2003), prepared by Hydroconsult and RMC, Inc.  That indicates an immediate demand of 12.6 mg/d, growing to 18.2 mg/d in 2020.

2) An additional 25% should be added to this demand estimate as a target for application of recycled water in such indirect potable reuse applications as maintenance of wetlands and aquifer injection.

3) Achieve this program within the estimated capital expenditure of $124.9 million.  This will result in a cost per mg/d capacity of $5.4 million, consistent with statewide goals.

4) Reevaluate operating procedures to determine if operating costs can be brought closer to the statewide estimates of $300 per acre/foot of water.

5) Achieve an operating recycled water facility with capacity of 12.6 mg/d within 3 years, expandable to 18.2 mg/d within the total investment estimate.

6) Install a demonstration recycled water facility, proposed for Golden Gate Park at a cost not to exceed $500,000, within the current fiscal year.

 John Plummer
7/14/05