In San Francisco, we are defined by our connection to water. From the beautiful beaches to the quintessential seafood, the Bay and the Pacific, this is what makes us who we are. San Franciscans have a deep pride in the City and have a strong appreciation for the area's natural beauty. One of the ways the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) works to protect our City's surrounding waterways is by building rain gardens across the City. These sustainable features help capture and clean stormwater, keeping it from overwhelming our City's sewer system and polluting it.
San Francisco residents can help by adopting a rain garden and becoming a Rain Guardian. By doing so, you are pledging to keep an adopted rain garden free of trash and debris. The SFPUC Rain Guardians Program is one part of a city-wide effort to ensure San Francisco is as resilient and sustainable as possible in the face of intensifying storms. The City is working to meet its goal to manage one billion gallons of stormwater annually using Green Infrastructure by 2050.
This month, the SFPUC will be hosting Rain Guardians Community Events to launch two new rain garden projects added to the program, Sunset Boulevard Greenway Phase Two and Baker Beach Green Street. These events will include a tour of nearby rain gardens led by our Green Infrastructure Gardeners, who can answer questions and give tips and tricks on the best care for the rain gardens. There will also be the opportunity to adopt a garden onsite, and for those who are already adopters, this will be a great time to meet fellow volunteers in your community.
Rain Guardians Events:
Past event:
If these dates don’t work for you, the Rain Guardians program is scheduling additional outreach events this Fall at each of the rain garden project sites as well. Register on our website at rainguardians.org to receive information on all of our events.
Contact the Rain Guardians Team at rainguardians@sfwater.org with any questions.