2023 Q1 Newsletter

Happy 2023 from Lotus Water!

Happy New Year!

As we enter the (lunar) new year, Lotus Water reflects on all we’ve accomplished and learned in 2022, and though some say this Year of the Rabbit is a time for rest, we’re looking forward to channeling the more spirited side of the rabbit, and continuing to grow and work with our communities and clients towards a more sustainable future.

Awards

Orange Memorial Park Regional Stormwater Capture + Reuse Project

Orange Memorial Park Regional SW Capture + Reuse

The Orange Memorial Park Regional Stormwater Capture + Reuse Project—the first of its kind in Northern California—was completed in Spring 2022 and received multiple awards in recognition of its innovative design:

Project of the Year, American Public Works Association (APWA) of Silicon Valley
Environment + Parks Award, American Public Works Association (APWA) of Silicon Valley
Outstanding Stormwater Capture & Use Project, California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA)
Outstanding Environmental Engineering Project, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) San Francisco

Civic Center Public Space Plan

Recently selected to receive the 2022 ASLA Honor Award in the Analysis and Planning Category, the Civic Center Public Space Plan presents a vision for transforming the heart of the San Francisco into a thriving public realm that meets multiple objectives—including district-scale green infrastructure and water reuse measures developed by Lotus to save 7.6 million gallons of drinking water annually. (Image credit: CMG)

New Team Members

Say hello to our newest team members - welcome to Lotus Water!

Mike training the next generation of construction experts

Mike Adamow | Senior Project Manager

Julia enjoying some water resources in the wild

Julia Brasch | Planner II

Join Our Team!

Want to help solve some of the most interesting and complex water challenges in California and beyond? Join our team! We're looking for a Site Design Engineer to join our growing San Francisco design team.

Apply Here

Project News + Highlights

SPU RainCity Partnerships Program: Putting the “C” in CBP3

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is launching a new RainCity Partnerships Program to fund community-identified green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) improvements. The innovative program was developed to encourage robust community-based outcomes to meet water quality, climate resilience, and racial and social equity objectives. Lotus led the overall community-based public private partnership (CBP3) program development, and eligible geographic areas; subsequent preparation of the public solicitation; and continues to support SPU on the launch and implementation of the program.

Seeds of Innovation: Resilient Design Competition

In September 2022, Lotus Water participated in the Water Flows Forward - Seeds of Innovation: Resilient Design Competition, hosted by The Water Collaborative, a grassroots organization in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year’s competition challenged teams to develop a floating planter box for indigenous communities in Louisiana’s Grand Bayou Village, a region rich with culture and history.

California College of the Arts Breaks Ground on New Campus

Despite a prolongued delay due to the ongoing pandemic, construction for the new California College of the Arts (CCA) extension campus in San Francisco succesfully resumed in 2022. The CCA gathered with the community, city officials, and the project team in November to officially celebrate with a ceremonial groundbreaking and reception showcasing the campus’ vision of sustainability. Lotus provided all civil engineering design for the campus and public realm spaces from concept phase through final design, and continues to provide support during construction.

Upper Islais Creek: A New Approach to Community Flood Resiliency

San Francisco is exploring ways to transform the surface of the city to be more flood resilient, taking a watershed approach to reimagine how streets and green infrastructure can deliver multiple benefits while alleviating flood concerns in low-lying neighborhoods. Leveraging over a decade of expertise helping to develop San Francisco’s stormwater program, Lotus is supporting the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) in evaluating the feasibility and potential community benefits of an alternative flood solution to traditional gray infrastructure.

Fieldwork Meets GIS: Bioregional Habitat Restoration Support

Over the course of numerous site visits and hours of fieldwork, Lotus collected field data and created maps to establish an inventory of Bioregional Habitat Restoration (BHR) conservation easement assets for the SFPUC in coordination with the Land Trust as part of long-term management of the BHR sites throughout Alameda and San Mateo Counties.

Water Needs in the Bay Area's Vulnerable Communities

A Regional Needs Assessment Report, led by Disadvantaged Community and Tribal Involvement (DACTI) and Lotus Water, was released in September of 2022 with a goal of amplifying the voices of people experiencing homelessness and incorporating their needs into the water resource planning process.

Team Events

Hanging out at Oakland’s Brooklyn Basin + San Francisco’s Presidio Tunnel Tops

You can take the designers out of the office, but we will still geek out together over thoughtfully designed public spaces and stormwater features! Lotus Water took time to enjoy some team bonding away from our desks by checking out a few new public spaces in our backyard. In spring, we ferried across the Bay for some German fare and sunshine at Brooklyn Basin. For fall, we trekked across the city to visit the recently-completed Tunnel Tops Park in the Presidio. It was refreshing to catch up with teammates and draw inspiration from two beautiful examples of sustainable design in action!