The State Water Resources Control Board and the California Water Quality Monitoring Council recently recognized the SFPUC and other agencies for their role in developing and implementing wastewater monitoring to manage the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists have sought ways to identify signs of the virus’ spread. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID disease, has not been shown to be transmissible through wastewater, but once scientists discovered that fragments of the genetic material of the virus could be found in

On a cloudy, blustery November day in San Francisco, 33 high-school students trudged up 24th Avenue in the Sunset neighborhood to visit their local solar array. Guided by Utility Specialist John Zech and Power Communications Manager Peter Gallotta, the eleventh-grade class, along with teachers Valerie Ziegler and Alan Calac, learned the importance and benefits of renewable energy, and the critical role the solar installation—managed by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)—plays in San Francisco. Specifically, the solar array provides clean electricity to thousands of the

Last month, the Association of Women in Water, Energy & Environment hosted “Lessons from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Leaders.” Among the featured panelists was Emily Lam, Deputy Assistant General Manager of External Affairs. We caught up with Emily to find out more about the work being done to advocate for racial equity at the SFPUC and beyond. Throughout the pandemic, Emily has helped the agency develop strategies and policies around COVID-19 and telecommuting. “I have an official role to evaluate both COVID policies and procedures and return to work from an equity perspective,”