San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

What San Francisco Public Utilities Commission does

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is a department of the City and County of San Francisco, established under California state law and the San Francisco city charter, providing retail drinking water, wastewater/sewer, and power services. It operates the Hetch Hetchy water system sourced from the Tuolumne Watershed, serving San Francisco residents and businesses plus providing wholesale water to three Bay Area counties (Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara). The agency also delivers hydroelectric and solar power through Hetch Hetchy Power to municipal departments and through CleanPowerSF (a community choice aggregation program) to over 380,000 residential and commercial customers. Underlying infrastructure includes 1,200 miles of water pipelines, two wastewater treatment plants (Southeast and Oceanside), a biosolids recycling program, and the seismically resilient Auxiliary Water Supply System (AWSS) for emergency firefighting water.

SFPUC's revenue is generated primarily through regulated retail rates across water, sewer, and power service lines, supplemented by service installation fees. Pricing is set via SFPUC Commission public hearings: a 7.4% water and sewer rate increase was approved for FY2027 effective July 1, 2026, while a 20-25% CleanPowerSF rate decrease took effect March 1, 2026, reflecting the low-cost hydroelectric generation base. Customer segments include residential and commercial ratepayers, developers/contractors needing utility connections, and K-12 educators served through environmental stewardship programs. Distribution is direct via online portals (MyAccount), in-person service centers, phone support, and authorized retail payment locations (7-Eleven, CVS, Walgreens, Speedway).

The agency is governed by a five-member Commission appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Board of Supervisors. Recent strategic activity centers on water resilience: a $3 million direct potable reuse proof-of-concept partnership with San Jose Water and South Bay Water Recycling (April 2026), the full operational launch of the NOAA-led AQPI atmospheric river forecasting system covering nine Bay Area counties (March 2026), and ongoing Sewer System Improvement and Water Infrastructure Improvement programs. General Manager Dennis Herrera announced retirement in 2026 after nearly 25 years of public service, initiating a leadership transition.

Name

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

Legal name

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

Website

https://sfpuc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is a municipal department providing retail drinking water, wastewater, and power services to San Francisco residents and businesses, plus wholesale water to three Bay Area counties, operating through Hetch Hetchy Power and CleanPowerSF programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Water and Sewer Rates: Revenue from retail water and sewer services to San Francisco customers, with approved rate increases of 7.4% for FY2027 effective July 1, 2026
2. Hetch Hetchy Power Rates: Revenue from municipal and retail power services through Hetch Hetchy Power and CleanPowerSF programs
3. CleanPowerSF Services: Clean electricity provision to over 380,000 residents and businesses in San Francisco
4. Service Installation Fees: Fees for water service installation, hydrant meters, capacity charges, and power service installations

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SFPUC is a municipal utility department of the City and County of San Francisco that delivers retail drinking water sourced primarily from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Tuolumne Watershed, wastewater collection and treatment, and green power through Hetch Hetchy Power and CleanPowerSF. It serves over 380,000 residential and business electricity customers in San Francisco, provides wholesale water to three Bay Area counties, and operates 1,200 miles of water pipelines and multiple treatment plants.

Product overview

SFPUC operates as a municipal utility providing three core services: water supply and distribution from the Hetch Hetchy watershed, clean energy through Hetch Hetchy Power and CleanPowerSF programs, and wastewater/sewer collection and treatment. The utility serves over 380,000 CleanPowerSF customers and provides water services to San Francisco plus three Bay Area counties. Supporting customer-facing digital platforms include MyAccount portals for billing and service management, SFBid for contractor procurement, and SOLIS for invoicing. Water supply programs include conservation, recycled water, groundwater, and advanced purified water initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CleanPowerSF: A clean energy program offering renewable electricity to over 380,000 residents and businesses in San Francisco
• Hetch Hetchy Power
• PureWaterSF
• PureWater Peninsula

Products and services

• CleanPowerSF
• Hetch Hetchy Power
• Water Supply and Distribution
• Sewer and Wastewater Services
• Water Innovations Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Water quality meets or exceeds all federal and state standards for health
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• San Jose WatercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026San Jose Water is collaborating with SFPUC and South Bay Water Recycling on a $3 million proof-of-concept demonstration of direct potable reuse technology. The mobile purification unit will test the conversion of recycled wastewater into drinking water across multiple locations in San Jose Water's service area. Results will determine whether to proceed with a full-scale recycled-water purification plant as part of broader regional efforts to address drought and climate pressures.
• South Bay Water RecyclingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026South Bay Water Recycling is collaborating with SFPUC and San Jose Water on the direct potable reuse technology demonstration to test purified recycled water as a future drinking water source for the region.
• San Francisco Fire DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2026San Francisco Fire Department coordinates with SFPUC on the Emergency Firefighting Water System (EFWS), conducting live demonstrations and managing firefighting water infrastructure for the city.
• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)majorTechnology or Integration · 26 March 2026NOAA developed the AQPI (Atmospheric River Quantitative Precipitation Information) regional forecasting system with Colorado State University and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The system uses five short-range X-Band radars and one C-Band radar to provide accurate precipitation estimates for atmospheric river events across nine Bay Area counties. AQPI became fully operational on March 26, 2026 after a handover ceremony.
• Colorado State UniversitymajorTechnology or Integration · 26 March 2026Colorado State University partnered with NOAA and Scripps Institution of Oceanography to develop the AQPI atmospheric river forecasting system for the San Francisco Bay Area. The system provides emergency managers and water agencies with accurate precipitation estimates for atmospheric river events.
• Scripps Institution of OceanographymajorTechnology or Integration · 26 March 2026Scripps Institution of Oceanography partnered with NOAA and Colorado State University to develop the AQPI atmospheric river forecasting system. Scripps will assume full leadership and management of the system on July 1, 2026, with CIRA continuing radar operations and maintenance. Initial funding of $19.7 million came from the California Department of Water Resources.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Metropolitan Water District of Southern California: Regional wholesale water supplier serving 26 member agencies across six Southern California counties. Comparable as a major California wholesale water authority with similar regional supply and infrastructure investment profile.

Direct peers

• East Bay Municipal Utility District: California municipal water and wastewater utility serving Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area. Directly comparable as a neighboring regional water wholesaler/retailer with similar integrated water and wastewater operations.
• Philadelphia Water Department: Municipal department providing integrated water, wastewater, and stormwater services to the City of Philadelphia. Comparable as a large municipal water/wastewater utility with combined sewer system management and aging-infrastructure challenges similar to SFPUC.
• New York City Department of Environmental Protection: Operates NYC's water supply, wastewater treatment, and related infrastructure, serving over 8 million residents. Comparable in scale and municipal ownership structure, with similar integrated water and wastewater mandate.
• Seattle Public Utilities: Municipal utility providing drinking water, wastewater, drainage, and solid waste services to the City of Seattle. Directly comparable as a municipal water/wastewater utility with a similar integrated service mandate and environmental stewardship focus.
• Portland Water Bureau: Bureau of the City of Portland providing drinking water to approximately a quarter million customers and coordinating with the city's wastewater program. Comparable municipal water utility with similar conservation focus and environmental leadership positioning.
• Los Angeles Department of Water and Power: The largest municipal water and power utility in the United States, serving Los Angeles with combined drinking water, wastewater coordination, and electric service. Most comparable to SFPUC in scope (water plus electric), municipal ownership, and large California urban customer base.
• DC Water: Municipal water and wastewater authority serving Washington, D.C. and parts of Maryland and Virginia. Comparable as an integrated municipal water/wastewater utility with similar ratepayer-funded capital programs and environmental mandate.
• Boston Water and Sewer Commission: Independent municipal authority providing water and sewer services to the City of Boston. Comparable as a mid-sized municipal water/wastewater authority operating under public governance with similar retail customer model.

Regional players

• San Diego County Water Authority: Wholesale water supplier serving San Diego County through 24 member agencies. Comparable as a California regional water wholesaler serving multiple municipal retail customers, with similar reliance on imported supplies and infrastructure investment programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sfwater
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SFPUCcommunications
• Facebookfacebook.com/SFWater
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sfpuc
• Instagraminstagram.com/mysfpuc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about San Francisco Public Utilities Commission