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Water

SFPUC Recognized for Decades of Excellent Water Quality

SFPUC Recognized for Decades of Excellent Water Quality
  • Natalie Stone

Earlier this year, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) honored the San Francisco Public Utilites Commission (SFPUC) with two awards for exceptional water quality. SFPUC employees from the Water Supply and Treatment Division and Water Quality Division, including Angela Cheung, Justin Sibbring, Enio Sebastiani, and Raymond Mah, attended the awards ceremony at AWWA’s Annual Conference and Exposition in Anaheim, California.

The awards were granted through the American Water Works Association’s Partnership for Safe Water, an unprecedented alliance of seven prestigious drinking water organizations. The Partnership for Safe Water requires participating utilities to produce water quality that is significantly higher than regulatory requirements. “The Partnership’s goal is to help utilities go beyond the regulations. They’re a resource to help optimize operations to produce the best possible drinking water,” explains Enio Sebastiani, Water Quality Engineering Section Manager. 

Harry Tracy Water Treatment Plant.
Harry Tracy Water Treatment Plant.

The Partnership for Safe Water reviews each process in a water treatment plant to see if it meets or exceeds industry standards. It measures the quality of treatment in four phases, with the fourth phase being the most stringent. Once a water treatment plant completes the third phase and successfully meets its performance criteria, it wins the Director’s Award. Every five years, the Partnership for Safe Water reevaluates previous Director’s Awards winners to see if they have maintained their operating criteria. 

“I am very proud of our staff for achieving the standards established by Partnership for Safe Water. These awards are a testament of our ability to consistently produce the highest quality water from our regional water treatment plants,” added Angela Cheung, Water Supply and Treatment Division Manager. 

The SFPUC is proud to receive the phase three Director’s Award for two of its treatment plants. The Sunol Valley Water Treatment Plant celebrates their 25-Year Director’s Award, and the Harry Tracy Water Treatment Plant celebrates their 20-Year Director’s Award. “Sometimes we get caught up in the day-to-day of our work. These awards are a nice way to take a moment and honor our staff. They deserve this recognition for not only keeping our treatment plants running 24/7 but also taking extra steps to best protect water quality,” Sebastiani said. 

It’s no easy feat to uphold some of the highest levels of water treatment in the country for two decades. Congratulations to all SFPUC water treatment operators and SFPUC water quality staff! 

To learn more about water quality, visit the SFPUC website at sfpuc.gov/waterquality. You can also find more information in the SFPUC's 2023 Water Quality Report.