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SFPUC approves MOA to install 36 bottle-filling taps in SFUSD schools
Summary
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission authorized a three-year memorandum of agreement with the San Francisco Unified School District to install 36 bottle-filling 'Drink Tap' stations at schools lacking functional cafeteria-adjacent drinking water, with SFPUC conservation funds supplemented by partner grants and a student mentorship component.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission on a voice vote authorized a memorandum of agreement with the San Francisco Unified School District to install 36 bottle-filling tap stations across city schools over three years.
Juliet Ellis, Assistant General Manager for External Affairs, told commissioners the "Drink Tap" MOA builds on a 2010 pilot that placed 15 stations in public locations and five pilot schools and responds to state and federal requirements that schools provide access to drinking water adjacent to food service. The MOA would use water enterprise conservation funds for equipment and seek support from the California Endowment to pay for water bottles for students.
The agreement targets schools that lack a functioning fountain next to cafeterias or are not covered by an upcoming bond program; another 26 schools are expected to be addressed through that bond. SFUSD will take responsibility for long-term maintenance, and the program includes a Tech 21 mentorship component to allow vocational high-school students to shadow installations.
Hydra Mendoza, a member of the Board of Education, thanked the PUC: "Partnerships are incredibly valuable" and said the initiative supports student health and curriculum about where water comes from. Nick Kessner, SFUSD sustainability director, said the program aligns with curriculum and public-health outreach already underway.
Commissioners asked about selection criteria and timetable; staff said schools were chosen based on lack of adjacent cafeteria fountains, scheduled bond work, and the timing of school construction windows, with installation scheduled to complete in three years. After public comments from SFUSD representatives, a motion to approve the MOA was moved, seconded and carried.
The commission’s action authorizes the general manager to execute the MOA for an amount not to exceed $452,325 over three years and to coordinate related technical assistance and mentorship elements.
