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Mayor Breed, SFPUC, COVID Command Center Announce Installation of 12 New Drink Tap Stations

installation crew standing with new tap station

Clean, free and high-quality San Francisco tap water stations added to Mission District, Tenderloin and Bayview communities based on neighborhood feedback

San Francisco, CA –Mayor London N. Breed, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, and the City’s COVID Command Center (CCC) today announced the installation of a dozen new drink tap stations in the Bayview, Tenderloin and Mission District communities.

“By adding these new drink tap stations, we are ensuring that residents in some of our most vulnerable communities will have a convenient place to access San Francisco’s high-quality tap water and stay hydrated,” said Mayor London N. Breed. “Clean drinking water should be easily accessible to everyone in San Francisco, no matter what neighborhood they live in.”

The Bayview, Tenderloin and Mission District Communities receive a total of 12 new drink tap stations, which provide residents with access to free, high-quality tap water. The drink taps were installed along heavily-traveled thoroughfares and based upon community feedback. 

The drink tap stations have been installed in the following locations:

Tenderloin:

  • St. Anthony’s (150 Golden Gate Avenue)
  • Glide Memorial (302 Ellis Street)
  • 730 Polk Street

Mission District:

  • 1850 Mission Street
  • 201 Alabama Street
  • 2783 Mission Street
  • 3001 19th Street

Bayview:

  • Mendell Plaza (3rd Street and Palou Avenue) 
  • Hilltop Park (La Salle and Whitney Young Circle) 
  • Youngblood Coleman Playground (Mendell Street and Fairfax Avenue) 
  • Earl’s Organic (2102 Jerold Avenue) 
  • Ingerson Avenue and Ingalls Street

The decision to install drink taps in these neighborhoods evolved from conversations with Covid Task Force representatives from each of the communities. In July, the SFPUC installed temporary, portable fixtures at six different fire hydrant locations in the Tenderloin to address water access issues raised by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Those fixtures—called manifolds—attached to the potable water hydrants to allow for drinking water access, but were temporary solutions. The drink taps being installed at the request of the three communities will be permanent, long-term fixtures in the neighborhoods.

“For more than a decade, we have been providing fresh, clean and free drinking water though our drink tap program,” said SFPUC Acting General Manager Michael Carlin. “We have always sought to bring these drink taps to communities that do not have readily available access to fresh drinking water, and the expansion of this program is a reflection of philosophy. Along with providing discounts on utility bills, halting shutoffs due to late payments, and exploring innovative new pilot programs, this program is another example of how we are helping the community during these troubling times.”   

The SFPUC started the drink tap program in 2010, installing lead-free water bottle refilling stations to provide everyone with free access to high-quality tap water while on the go. The tap stations enable residents to reuse their own container rather than purchase costly single-use bottled water. This encourages conserving natural resources and reduces waste from plastic water bottles.

The SFPUC works with City agencies, the Board of Supervisors, community-based organizations, health professionals, and community advocates to select station locations that meet the collective goal of increasing water access, especially to the City’s most vulnerable communities. 

Historically, the SFPUC has installed drink tap stations in communities with equity issues and lack of access to healthy drinking options. In recent years, the program has expanded, with Recreation and Parks Department and the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) installing drink tap stations at schools, parks and open spaces throughout the City. Funding for that expansion came in part from the City’s Soda Tax, which was introduced to protect children from the harmful impacts of sugary beverages. 

About the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is a department of the City and County of San Francisco. It delivers drinking water to 2.7 million people in the San Francisco Bay Area, collects and treats wastewater for the City and County of San Francisco, and generates clean power for municipal buildings, residential customers, and businesses. Our mission is to provide our customers with high quality, efficient and reliable water, power, and sewer services in a manner that values environmental and community interests and sustains the resources entrusted to our care. Learn more at www.sfwater.org. 

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