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PUC: WESIP PEIR coming online; staff proposes separating recycled water and desalination into standalone program
Summary
Deputy GM Tony Irons told commissioners the Water Enterprise System Improvement Program (WESIP) has 17 projects under construction and that the program’s PEIR (four volumes, ~3,000 pages) will be available Friday; staff proposed moving recycled water and desalination into a separate program so WESIP can focus on seismic reliability projects.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission received a detailed update on the Water Enterprise System Improvement Program (WESIP) and the associated Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR).
Tony Irons, deputy general manager, reported WESIP delivery status: 17 projects are in construction, 10 projects are in design and two projects have been closed out. He said the PEIR will be fully available on Friday and described it as four volumes totaling roughly 3,000 pages, with appendices distributed on CD to meet printing constraints and CEQA requirements.
Irons also addressed the program’s scope. He told the commission staff are considering separating two components — recycled water and desalination — from WESIP into standalone programs because their technical and stakeholder issues differ from the seismic and reliability projects that are the focus of WESIP. The proposed reorganization, Irons said, would allow WESIP to proceed quickly on seismic and reliability investments while advancing recycled water and desalination through targeted implementation tracks.
Commissioners asked about funding continuity if projects move out of WESIP; staff said funds that are currently appropriated to a project would move with it and that additional funding sources (including wastewater enterprise funding or other sources) could be identified. Irons said the change is organizational and intended to strengthen delivery and that there is no schedule extension associated with the amendment to geotechnical contracts discussed later in the agenda.
What happens next: staff will continue drafting the PEIR materials and will follow up with commissioners about any funding transfers and the standalone program structure for recycled water and desalination.
Sources: Tony Irons (Deputy General Manager) report to the commission and Q&A recorded in the meeting transcript.
