Earlier this year, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) celebrated the one-year anniversary since the launch of its Green Infrastructure (GI) Grant Program, the City’s first large-scale GI grant program that provides funding to San Francisco property owners to capture and manage stormwater through GI. The first year of the GI Grant program saw many milestones, including an applicant workshop with over 100 participants, 6 project grants totaling $5M in funding, and winning a 2020 Outstanding Sustainable Stormwater Program Award from the California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA).
Today, we celebrate another exciting milestone - the first two grant projects have completed construction, just in time for the rainy season!
Bessie Carmichael Middle School
The SFPUC awarded San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) $0.4M, working with SFUSD’s Green Schoolyards program and additional funding, to transform the Bessie Carmichael schoolyard. The GI Grant Program funded:
Site soil remediation
A repaved and painted play yard
A mural to promote education around the environment and infrastructure through art
Three in-ground planted bioretention basins, and
Four above grade planters to manage roof and yard stormwater runoff.
Altogether these seven stormwater management BMPs will manage 275,000 gallons of stormwater annually within the Channel Watershed.
Lafayette Elementary School
An additional $0.5M was awarded to fund stormwater infrastructure improvements at Lafayette Elementary School, integrated into SFUSD’s building modernization project. The grant funded:
Two bioretention basins
A large planted dry creek bed to manage stormwater runoff from the play yard and a portion of the roof
New planters
Impervious surface removal, and
Educational signage throughout the yard.
The stormwater improvements will manage 350,000 gallons of stormwater annually in the Sunset Watershed.
Lotus Water continues to provide technical and programmatic support for the GI Grant Program, working closely with the SFPUC to develop the program guidebook, perform site visits at potential grant project sites, review applications and plan submissions, and provide construction administration services.
Read more about the GI Grant Program here.
