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SFPUC adopts stormwater design guidelines with green-roof and climate-resilience language
Summary
The commission approved the San Francisco stormwater design guidelines and recommended a stormwater management order to the Board of Supervisors. Commissioners added language to recognize green-roof benefits and a new whereas on climate resilience; staff will compile special-topic guidance on sea-level rise and environmental justice.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission voted on Jan. 12, 2010 to adopt the city’s stormwater design guidelines and recommend a stormwater management order to the Board of Supervisors after a public hearing and a set of minor amendments.
Public testimony from green-infrastructure advocates and business groups urged that green roofs be explicitly recognized as a stormwater control and requested small textual edits to strengthen the ordinance. "We urge you to pass this ordinance, with the minor change we're recommending," said Aaron Lamer of Bay Localize, representing the Green Roofs Alliance.
Staff response and amendment: staff confirmed they had added an additional whereas recognizing that green infrastructure increases community resilience to climate change and proposed an iterative process to add 'special topic' guidance documents on sea-level rise, environmental justice and green-job opportunities. Urban watershed staff agreed to add the phrase "direct plant uptake" into the description of vegetated roofs in both the ordinance and appendix where it appears, to explicitly recognize evapotranspiration and plant uptake benefits.
Why it matters: the ordinance creates a performance- and site-based framework for on-site treatment and encourages LID (low impact development) techniques, which the PUC and public commenters argued yield multiple benefits including reduced combined sewer overflows, aquifer recharge, pollutant load reduction and local green jobs. Several public commenters — including representatives of the Green Roofs Alliance, Clean Water Action and Holy H2O — said San Francisco could use incentive measures and clearer language to accelerate adoption.
Next steps: the commission approved the ordinance as amended and asked staff to bring forward special-topic guidance materials and maps to support implementation. Staff said they will continue stakeholder outreach while the Board of Supervisors considers the recommended stormwater management order.
