2016 calendar - San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

2016 CALENDAR
Everyday Tips to Prevent Water Pollution
Clean. Efficient. Reliable.
We deliver high-quality water, power, and sewer services in the San Francisco Bay Area.
WATER — Delivering high-
POWER — Generating
SEWER — Protecting public
quality water every day
clean energy for vital services
health and the environment
We deliver drinking water from the Hetch Hetchy
Regional Water System to 2.6 million residents and
businesses in San Francisco, Alameda, Santa Clara,
and San Mateo counties. This gravity-fed system
reliably delivers water across the state without the use
of energy-consuming pumping.
The Hetch Hetchy Power System’s hydroelectric,
biogas and solar installations generate 1.6 billion
kilowatt hours of clean, reliable energy annually for vital
City services, including:
We protect the public and the environment through the
operation of the San Francisco Combined Sewer
System.
We are ensuring high-quality water for generations to
come by promoting the efficient use of water through
a variety of customer conservation programs, rebates
and incentives.
• MUNI • Port Facilities
• Public Health Dept.
• SFO Int’l Airport • SF General Hospital
• Public Schools
• Streetlights
• Police and Fire
Stations
• Laguna Honda
Hospital
• Public Libraries
With our diverse, renewable energy portfolio, we are
one of the cleanest energy utilities in California.
• 1,000+ miles of sewers that collect and convey
sanitary and storm flows
• 80 million gallons of sewage treated on dry days
• Up to 575 million gallons of sewage treated on
rainy days
• Oceanside Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant
• North Point Wet Weather Facility
We provide innovative programs to manage sewage
and stormwater, as well as prevent pollution of the
San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean.
University of San Francisco
Mission Bay Traffic Circle
Lafayette Elementary
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
WHAT IS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE?
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDES MULTIPLE BENEFITS
Green infrastructure is a stormwater management tool that takes advantage of the natural
processes of soils and plants in order to slow down and clean stormwater and keep it from
overwhelming the City’s sewer system.
•
Prevents stormwater pollution
•
Enhances community space and beautifies streets
•
Improves street conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians
•
Increases biodiversity and brings green to our streets
•
Cleans groundwater
•
Creates green jobs
•
Provides public education opportunities
•
Reduces urban heat (Heat Island Effect)
•
Improves air quality
•
Reduces energy consumption
•
Improves pedestrian safety/calms traffic
•
Reduces wastewater treatment costs
•
Creates a more livable habitat for birds, native plants and residents
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE (SMO) PROJECTS
The Stormwater Management Ordinance requires new and redevelopment projects to
manage their stormwater on-site with green infrastructure. Projects that create or replace
5,000 square feet or more of impervious surface must comply with the Stormwater
Management Ordinance. There are more than 200 proposed SMO projects throughout the
city using a variety of green infrastructure strategies to manage stormwater and prevent
water pollution.
URBAN WATERSHED STEWARDSHIP GRANT (WSG) PROJECTS
The SFPUC offers grants for community projects that help manage stormwater using green
infrastructure. The grants support planning, design and construction of projects that harvest
and reuse rainwater, remove impervious surfaces, or implement other technologies.
Please email [email protected] for more information.
MISSION BAY
San Francisco’s Mission Bay redevelopment covers
303 acres of land between the San Francisco Bay
and Interstate 280. Newly developed streets within
Mission Bay are required to comply with the SMO.
The developer has chosen to manage the street
runoff in parks, such as the Mission Bay Traffic
Circle shown above.
UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO
Completed in 2013, the Center for Science and
Innovation at USF is the product of an integrated
design approach that connects architecture,
infrastructure, and natural ecosystems. The site
features a green roof, flow-through planters, and
permeable pavement for filtering stormwater before
being directed to a 28,000-gallon underground
rainwater harvesting cistern located below a
parking lot.
LAFAYETTE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
20TH STREET BIOPHILIC STREETSCAPE
FOLSOM STREET
Lafayette Elementary School in the Outer Richmond
district received an SFPUC Urban Watershed
Stewardship Grant to fund a rainwater harvesting
system, pavement removal and gardens, as well
as an outdoor classroom. When integrated into the
school curricula, these features become useful tools
for environmental education.
The 20th Street Biophilic Streetscape project in the
Mission District removed 5,130 square feet (342
linear feet) of sidewalk and replaced it with drought
tolerant plantings and permeable pavers. Plants
were initially hand-watered to establish them and
thereafter have been surviving solely on rain water.
In 2011, the SFPUC funded Friends of the Urban
Forest to remove 2,658 square feet of impervious
concrete sidewalks and replaced it with trees and
other vegetation to naturally slow down and clean
nearly 32,000 gallons of stormwater every year.
JANUARY 2016
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
1
Sat
2
GARDEN TIP
THINK BEFORE YOU FLUSH
San Francisco has a variety of microclimates and soil
types. Visit sfplantfinder.org to identify which native
and drought-tolerant plants will do well where you live.
New Year’s Day
Kwanzaa ends
3
4
10
11
5
12
6
13
7
14
8
15
9
16
Introduction to Rainwater
Harvesting at Garden for
the Environment
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
An overflowing toilet can ruin your
home in an instant. Just a small
amount of household waste flushed
down the toilet (or dumped down the
drain or garbage disposal) can clog
pipes, cause nasty messes in your
home, and result in expensive sewer
backups.
Did you know “flushable” wipes
are the biggest problem for sewer
backups? Even if the package says
flushable, they should never be
flushed—all wipes belong in the trash.
In addition to clogging your toilet
and indoor plumbing, flushing trash
down the drain results in major
sewer blockages and infrastructure
damages, and ultimately costs the city
more money.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Martin Luther King Day
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
•
Flush only human waste and
toilet paper.
•
Place the attached removable
cling in your bathroom to remind
your household that toilets aren’t
trash cans.
31
Operator of the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System
FEBRUARY 2016
Sun
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Wed
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Thu
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Fri
5
Sat
6
PICK UP AFTER YOUR PET
There are approximately 120,000
dogs living in San Francisco, making
it one of the most pet-friendly cities in
the U.S.
Groundhog Day
World Wetlands Day
7
8
9
Lunar New Year
14
15
Valentine’s Day
President’s Day
21
22
28
29
10
11
12
13
18
19
20
Ash Wednesday
16
17
Natural Plant Care
at Garden for the
Environment
23
24
25
26
Imagine how unhealthy it would
become if no one picked up after their
pets. Pet waste can contain a host
of diseases and parasites and, if left
on the ground, can wash into storm
drains, polluting local waterways and
creating public health issues.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
•
Always pick up your pet’s waste
and throw the bagged waste in
the trash.
•
Look for and use biodegradable
pet waste bags available in
dispensers at local parks.
•
Carry extra bags when walking
your dog and encourage other
dog owners to clean up after
their pets as well.
27
GARDEN TIP
Prune fruit trees, roses and wisteria. Do not delay
because warmer spring weather will cause growth
spurts, that you want to direct by pruning.
Operator of the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System
MARCH 2016
Sun
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Tue
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Wed
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Thu
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Fri
4
Sat
5
DON’T BUY EXFOLIATORS WITH
PLASTIC BEADS
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Ask the Experts:
Gardening in a Drought
at Garden for the
Environment
13
14
15
16
Daylight Savings begins
20
17
18
19
St. Patrick’s Day
21
22
23
24
25
26
Plastic micro-beads are found in more
than 1,000 personal care products for
use as exfoliants. These tiny plastic
particles are extremely harmful to our
food and water supplies and marine
ecosystems.
Given their size, they escape
wastewater and stormwater treatment
processes, resulting in billions of
plastic microbeads flowing into our
global waterways. This impacts a
wide variety of marine life, including
the fish we eat.
Safe, natural, compostable
alternatives exist, and some
manufacturers have begun phasing
out the use of plastic micro-beads.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Spring Equinox
27
Easter Sunday
Good Friday
World Water Day
28
29
30
31
Cesar Chavez Day
Green Gardens with
Graywater at Garden for
the Environment
GARDEN TIP
Get your hands dirty and support
local plant biodiversity! Visit
sfplantfinder.org/resources to
volunteer at a native plant nursery in
San Francisco.
•
Buy or make cleansers with
natural exfoliants such as apricot
shells.
•
Download the “Beat the
Microbead” App to help identify
which in-store products contain
microplastics.
Operator of the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System
APRIL 2016
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
1
Sat
2
GARDEN TIP
PLANT WATER-CONSCIOUS
LANDSCAPING
Look for plants that flower during different times of the
year to provide food year-round for pollinators such as
bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
3
4
5
6
7
April Fool’s Day
Introduction to Drought
Tolerant Gardening
at Garden for the
Environment
8
9
Natural Plant Care
at Garden for the
Environment
World Health Day
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Ask the Experts:
Organic Gardening
Tour at Garden for the
Environment
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
Landscapes provide areas for
recreation and enhance our urban
environment. Urban green spaces
clean air and water, prevent erosion
and stormwater pollution, and
add to the natural beauty of our
neighborhoods.
To ensure efficient water use, San
Francisco passed the Water Efficient
Irrigation Ordinance which requires
projects with 1,000 square feet or
more of new or modified landscape
area to install efficient irrigation, plant
low water-use plants, and set an
annual water budget.
Even if the ordinance doesn’t apply
to your garden, saving water makes
sense.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
24
25
26
27
28
Passover begins
Earth Day
Prepping your Garden for
Dry Summers at Garden
for the Environment
29
30
Arbor Day
Passover ends
•
Add 2 inches of mulch to
new plantings to preserve soil
moisture, suppress weed growth
and add nutrients back into
the soil.
•
Plant low-water-use and climate
appropriate plants.
•
Group plants with similar water
needs within hydrozones and
control each hydrozone with a
single irrigation valve.
MAY 2016
Sun
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Mon
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Tue
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Wed
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Thu
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Fri
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Sat
7
WASH YOUR CAR WISELY
Cinco de Mayo
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Mother’s Day
15
22
16
23
17
24
18
25
19
20
26
21
Bike to Work Day
Armed Forces Day
27
28
Washing your car can be one of
the most environmentally unfriendly
household chores—motor oil and
other pollutants can easily get washed
down the street and into storm drains,
which ultimately lead to the bay and
ocean.
The best way to wash your car is to
use a commercial car wash. Federal
laws require commercial car wash
facilities to treat their wastewater
before sending it to the wastewater
treatment facility.
Car washes use the right amount of
water, capture all the soapy runoff
on site and use computer-controlled
systems to minimize water use. Many
also recycle and reuse the rinse water.
If you choose to wash your car
at home, wash it in the most
environmentally friendly way possible.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
International Day for
Biological Diversity
29
30
Use biodegradable soaps
and less toxic products to
wash your car.
•
Use a hose with a nozzle, so
water is not wasted while it is not
being used.
•
Capture the soapy runoff by
washing your car on a lawn or
other pervious surface.
31
GARDEN TIP
Support local plants and animals by reducing your use
of pesticides. For safer pest-prevention techniques,
see sfenvironment.org/residents.
Memorial Day
•
JUNE 2016
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
1
GARDEN TIP
Thu
2
Fri
3
Sat
4
Plant a vegetable garden. From
seeds: bean, carrot, chard and
radish. From transplants: sunflower,
cucumber, lettuce, squash and
cherry tomato.
5
6
World Environment Day
12
19
13
20
7
WATER IS TOO IMPORTANT
TO USE JUST ONCE
8
Ramadan begins
World Oceans Day
14
15
21
22
9
16
23
10
17
24
11
18
25
While recycled water is not safe for
consumption, it can be used for other
non-potable purposes in place of
drinking water.
In fact, recycling water is so essential
that San Francisco recently started
requiring buildings larger than
250,000 square feet to develop
graywater systems for toilet flushing
and irrigation.
New developments are now
encouraged to use graywater
including the water from showers,
bathtubs and washing machines.
Even if you don’t live in a large
building you can still install an
at-home greywater system.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Father’s Day
Summer Solstice
26
27
28
29
30
•
Find out about at-home
greywater systems through the
SFPUC Laundry-to-Landscape
Graywater Program.
•
Download the San Francisco
Greywater Design Manual.
•
If your greywater system requires
a permit, apply for the Residential
Greywater Permit Rebate.
•
For more information, email
[email protected].
JULY 2016
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
1
Sat
2
GARDEN TIP
ABSORB RAINWATER TO
PREVENT RUN-OFF
Choose drought-tolerant, native pollinator-friendly
plants. Some non-natives such as lavender, sage and
rosemary, are also drought-tolerant, non-invasive and
great for San Francisco gardens.
3
4
5
Independence Day
6
7
8
9
Ramadan ends
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
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21
22
23
Before our city developed into what
it is today, it consisted of diverse
habitats including oak woodlands,
native grasslands, wetlands and sand
dunes. Rainwater soaked into the
soil, replenishing aquifers, lakes, and
creeks.
Today, impervious surfaces such as
buildings, streets, and parking lots,
cover most of the city, preventing
infiltration. Instead of entering the soil,
stormwater travels over hard surfaces,
picking up pollutants like oil and trash,
and washing them into the sewer
where they can pollute the bay and
ocean.
Luckily, using a few simple landscape
strategies at home can minimize these
impacts.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
24
25
31
26
27
28
29
•
Remove some of the concrete
in front of your home or in your
back yard to capture stormwater
and keep pollutants from running
into stormdrains.
•
Apply for an Urban Watershed
Stewardship Grant through
the SFPUC and Community
Challenge Coalition.
30
AUGUST 2016
Sun
Mon
1
Tue
2
Wed
3
Thu
4
Fri
5
Sat
6
GET RID OF PESTS WITHOUT
HARMING YOUR WATER
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Pesticides are chemicals intended to
prevent, control, or kill pests, but they
can also harm you and your family’s
health. Even pesticides sold off the
shelf can be harmful to people, pets,
and the environment.
Part of the problem is how toxic
pesticides are, but more concerning is
the amount we use every year.
14
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25
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27
More than half of the pesticides used
in California are used in urban areas by
residents, gardeners, and pest control
professionals in and around schools,
businesses, and homes.
These pesticides, when not applied or
disposed of properly, enter drains that
eventually lead to the bay and ocean.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
28
29
30
31
GARDEN TIP
Migratory birds are attracted to
brightly lit buildings and can collide
with windows if lights are left on at
night. Help by closing your curtains
and reduce outdoor lighting.
•
Use Integrated Pest Management
techniques to prevent pests from
entering your home or garden.
•
If you need to treat pests, choose
less toxic products to avoid
exposure to hazardous chemicals.
•
Visit ourwaterourworld.org to
find nurseries and hardware stores
with IPM experts to help address
your pest problems.
SEPTEMBER 2016
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
1
Fri
2
Sat
3
GARDEN TIP
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
MEANS KNOWING HOW TO
PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
If you’re planting drought-tolerant and native species,
plant them in the late fall. Rain will naturally establish
them over the winter and help you save water.
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Labor Day
11
12
13
14
15
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21
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24
Teaching kids to be ecologically
responsible citizens is critical for the
long-term future of the environment.
The SFPUC partners with public and
non-profit agencies to provide free
curriculums, school presentations,
tours, and field trips to educate and
inspire school children to become
environmental stewards.
Curriculum such as the Watershed
Stewardship Curriculum are designed
to teach children about watershed
awareness, stormwater management,
pollution prevention, and water
conservation.
The SFPUC develops curriculum
that can be adapted for kindergarten
through 12th grade.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Autumnal Equinox
25
26
27
28
29
•
Encourage your child’s
teachers to sign up for one of
our environmental education
opportunities.
•
Bring your child on a tour of
Garden for the Environment, a
demonstration garden showcasing
less toxic gardening and water
conservation practices.
30
OCTOBER 2016
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
GARDEN TIP
HAZARDOUS WASTE DOESN’T
BELONG IN THE TRASH
Purchase plants from nurseries that specialize in
native plants. Visit sfplantfinder.org/resources to
find a nursery near you.
Islamic New Year
2
3
4
Rosh Hashanah begins
9
6
7
8
Rosh Hashanah ends
10
16
5
11
12
Columbus Day
Yom Kippur begins
Yom Kippur ends
17
18
19
13
20
14
21
15
22
Most households use hazardous
materials such as batteries, paint, and
pesticides on a regular basis.
Hazardous products should never go
inside your blue, green, or black bins
because of their potential impact to
public health and the environment.
Paint, motor oil, old pesticides,
pharmaceuticals, batteries, fluorescent
tubes, and electronics are the most
likely products to cause water
pollution if not handled separately.
San Francisco residents can schedule
a home pick-up, visit San Francisco’s
permanent hazardous waste
collection facility, or use a convenient
neighborhood drop-off site to safely
discard hazardous waste from their
home.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
•
23
24
30
25
U.N. Day
Halloween
26
27
28
29
Find out what items are
hazardous, and how
best to dispose of them,
at sfenvironment.org/
recyclewhere
31
Operator of the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System
NOVEMBER 2016
Sun
Mon
Tue
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Wed
2
Thu
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Fri
4
Sat
5
KNOW YOUR DRAINS
All Saints Day
6
7
Daylight Savings ends
13
20
8
9
10
21
15
22
12
Veterans Day
Election Day
14
11
16
23
17
24
18
25
19
26
Most of San Francisco has a
combined sewer system that treats
both wastewater and stormwater
together before discharging into the
ocean or bay.
However, some parts of the city have
separate storm sewer systems, where
wastewater is sent to a treatment
facility while stormwater flows
directly into the bay or ocean without
treatment. These separate storm
sewers are located on the outer edges
of the city in Ocean Beach, Lake
Merced, and Mission Bay.
It is especially important that only rain
enters these storm drains. Imagine
all the motor oil, pesticides, metals
and other street litter that you see on
the street—it is all sent to the sewer
system when it rains.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
•
Thanksgiving Day
27
28
29
30
GARDEN TIP
Sow native wildflower seeds to attract
pollinators and guarantee spring color.
Look for storm drain murals in
Mission Bay that were developed
as a partnership between the
SFPUC and the San Francisco
Arts Commission to bring
awareness to the sensitivity of
our separate storm sewers.
DECEMBER 2016
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
1
Fri
2
Sat
3
GARDEN TIP
KEEP GREASE OUT OF YOUR
HOME’S PIPES
Rake up leaves and put away other
garden items, such as empty pots, that
could be used as winter refuges for snails
and slugs.
4
5
6
7
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Used cooking oil is a serious problem
for San Francisco’s sewers, clogging
pipes and costing us all a lot of
money—more than $3.5 million each
year.
When poured down the drain,
cooking oil solidifies into thick layers
inside sewer pipes, constricting water
flow the way cholesterol affects blood
flow in arteries.
Clogged sewers result in back-ups,
overflows onto streets, foul-smelling
odors, and costly damage to sewer
infrastructure. Most people at home
don’t use or generate very much
cooking grease, but even a little
grease from each home can add up
to many clogged sewers.
To prevent this mess, the SFPUC
offers convenient drop-off locations
for San Francisco residents to recycle
used cooking oil.
Christmas Eve
Winter Solstice
25
26
Hanukkah begins
Christmas Day
Kwanzaa begins
Christmas observed
27
28
29
30
31
New Year’s Eve
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
•
Place your cooled, used cooking
oil in a non-breakable container
and bring it to a convenient dropoff location in San Francisco.
•
For drop-off locations near you,
visit sfgreasecycle.org.
9 WAYS
YOU CAN PREVENT
WATER POLLUTION
1
2
3
use less toxic gardening products in
your garden
4
properly dispose of flea, tick, ant, and
any other outdoor pesticide products
5
bring your car to a professional car
washing facility since they capture all
of the soapy runoff that may otherwise
pollute local waters
6
never litter. dispose of trash properly
dispose of household chemicals
at a recycling center or household
hazardous waste facility
dispose of your pet’s waste and throw
the bagged waste in the trash
7
8
9
remove some of the concrete in front of
your home and plant a tree or make a
rain garden
ride a bike or take public transportation
instead of driving alone to reduce
the amount of harmful car exhaust
pollutants on the street
take part in a coastal clean-up day
7
1
6
4
8
9
2
5
3
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
PERMIT NO. 4
PRESORTED
STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
THANKS
We want to thank the following contributors to this calendar. Any mention of individual
products, vendors or technologies does not constitute an endorsement by the City and
County of San Francisco.
Editors: Manon Fisher, Kathryn Gillick and Communications staff
Technical Writing: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, SF Environment and
Garden for the Environment
Design: Carla Mannix
Photographers: Manon Fisher, Blair Randall (All images are courtesy of the artist)
PUBLICATION NOTES
525 Golden Gate Avenue, 12th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102
The 2016 Calendar is published by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s
Wastewater Enterprise to educate residents about environmental stewardship and ways
they can help prevent pollutants from entering San Francisco’s combined sewer system,
the Bay and Ocean. For more information on our Water Pollution Prevention Program,
visit pollutionprevention.sfwater.org
Mayor
Edwin M. Lee
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
President Francesca Vietor
Vice President Anson Moran
Commissioner Ann Moller Caen
Commissioner Vince Courtney
Commissioner Ike Kwon
General Manager
Harlan L. Kelly, Jr.