Greening the City and
Controlling Stormwater Flows
Stormwater Management Ordinance
The San Francisco Stormwater Management Ordinance (SMO) has been a catalyst
for innovative stormwater management, green infrastructure implementation, and
rainwater harvesting across the city.
Hayes Valley
The main goal of the SMO is to require new and redevelopments that create or
replace 5,000 square feet or more of impervious surface to manage stormwater onsite, but there are many ancillary benefits that embody OneWaterSF. The Program
has been the main driver for rainwater harvesting in the city; a strategy that
manages stormwater and reduces potable water use at the same time. To date, over
270 projects have submitted Stormwater Control Plans to the SFPUC, and nearly
70 of them propose rainwater harvesting to meet their stormwater management
requirements. The SMO dovetails with the Non-potable Water Program to make
stormwater an important part of a more diverse and resilient water portfolio.
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In addition to the SMO, the SFPUC uses watershed planning, grant programs, and
capital projects to inform and advance the implementation of green infrastructure
in San Francisco. Our innovative watershed planning tools integrate green and gray
infrastructure to solve drainage problems and include an award-winning community
engagement tool called The Watershed Planning Game. Our grant programs fund
community organizations to implement green infrastructure, from rain gardens
to rainwater harvesting. Over $1.4 million has been granted so far, and grantees
include 30 public schools. In the area of capital projects, the SFPUC has pursued
eight green infrastructure pilot projects, one in each of our city’s urban watersheds,
including green streets with rain gardens and permeable pavement. Through these
projects and programs, green infrastructure gradually restores natural functions to
San Francisco’s urban watersheds, brings beauty and wildlife habitat to the public
realm, and helps to green San Francisco’s neighborhoods.