PUC backs mayoral directive to end bottled water purchases by city departments; outreach and savings cited

San Francisco’s Public Utilities Commission endorsed the mayor’s recent executive directive that directs city departments to stop purchasing single‑serve bottled water and five‑gallon bottled dispensers, and commissioners heard expert testimony supporting tap water quality, environmental harms from bottled plastics and a plan for public outreach.

Wade Crowfoot, representing the mayor’s office, told the commission the mayor issued the directive and that the city expects to save roughly $500,000 by ending bottled‑water contracts for city departments. “We are very excited in the mayor’s office to have issued on Friday an executive directive to all city departments,” Crowfoot said, adding that the directive complements work at the U.S. Conference of Mayors and is intended to be paired with public education.

General Manager Laura Spangen said the San Francisco system (Hetch Hetchy) is extensively tested and that municipal tap water meets stricter consumer‑protection standards than bottled water. Spangen cited public‑health, environmental and cost reasons for the policy and asked the commission to expand outreach and public education to reduce the public perception that bottled water is safer than tap water.

Environmental and public‑interest groups that addressed the commission backed the directive. Brian Stranko, executive director of California Trout, said bottling can damage habitats in areas targeted for extraction, including the Mount Shasta region; Gigi Kellett of Corporate Accountability International described a nationwide ‘Think Outside the Bottle’ campaign and said mayors are adopting similar policies; and Adam Skow of Food and Water Watch previewed a forthcoming report that argues bottled water weakens public support for municipal water systems and pointed to a large federal infrastructure funding gap.

Private‑sector and community speakers also offered implementation detail. Michael Davis of U.S. Pure Water said his company has helped agencies replace bottled coolers with bottleless dispensers that use significantly less energy and can streamline the transition.

Speakers cited technical studies and legislative activity. External affairs staff noted studies by the Natural Resources Defense Council and others that found contaminants above tap standards in some bottled brands and bottle‑dispensing machines; staff also mentioned two California bills (identified in testimony as “SB 220” and “AB 1521”) that would require more labeling and information for bottled water products. Spangen said the commission will coordinate with the mayor’s office and departmental purchasers to roll out communications and purchasing changes.

What happens next: staff said it will expand outreach — including restaurant and business postcards, bill inserts and a regional marketing campaign launching this summer — and will assist city departments in purchasing bottleless dispensers and steel refill containers. The commission did not take a separate regulatory vote on an ordinance; it directed staff to help implement the mayoral directive and to report back with briefings and usage data.

Sources: presentations and testimony to the PUC, including Wade Crowfoot (mayor’s office), Laura Spangen (PUC external affairs), Brian Stranko (California Trout), Gigi Kellett (Corporate Accountability International), Adam Skow (Food and Water Watch) and member testimony.