FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 12, 2024

Nancy Crowley
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
ncrowley@sfwater.org
(628) 629-1748

SFPUC Secures Nearly $14 Million in Additional Pandemic Debt Relief for Customers 

Customer past-due bills are slashed; SFPUC pandemic utility debt relief now totals over $40 million.

SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) announced today that it had provided additional debt relief totaling nearly $14 million to customers who were behind on their water and sewer bills due to the pandemic. Customers began seeing these credits on their past-due bills in June 2024. Ratepayers also received another $6 million in low-income assistance, reducing the cost of their water and wastewater bills during the pandemic.  

With this most recent debt reduction, the SFPUC has secured and received more than $40 million in pandemic-related utility bill relief for ratepayers through state and federally supported programs. This amount also includes a second round of CleanPowerSF and Hetch Hetchy Power bill credits and low-income discounts totaling $1.265 million, which the SFPUC assigned to customers in early 2023.  

“As our City recovers, we know a lot of people are still struggling from the economic effects of the pandemic,” said SFPUC General Manager Dennis Herrera. “We’re making sure we’re doing our part to help people get back on their feet. This relief funding is direct help for those who struggled to pay their bills during the pandemic. Our focus here is on compassion and getting people onto the path of financial sustainability.” 

“I’m proud of the work we have done as a City to respond to the economic challenges brought up by the pandemic by ensuring our residents can afford to pay for the very basic services they rely on every day,” said Mayor London Breed. “But we cannot do this alone; we thank our state and federal partners for helping San Francisco bounce back and not let those who are still facing a lot of hardship behind.” 

The extended water and sewer financial relief authorized by the California State Legislature covers the period from June 16, 2021 to December 31, 2022. It includes almost $8.2 million for water service and $12.1 million for sewer service, helping over 5,500 San Francisco residents, businesses, and organizations regain their financial footing. 
 
In 2022, the SFPUC assigned nearly $1⁠8.8 million in the initial round of debt relief for water, wastewater, and electricity bills that accumulated during the pandemic. These monies were funded through the California Extended Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program. Additionally, a separate state program, the California Arrearage Payment Program, funded more than $3.5 million in back payments and discounts for CleanPowerSF and Hetch Hetchy customers.  
 
The SFPUC applauds the Biden-Harris administration, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Governor Gavin Newsom, and the California State Legislature for providing significant funding for utility debt accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic through these two visionary programs. The California Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program, along with the California Arrearage Payment Program for energy utility debt relief, helped millions of people across the state by providing direct bill credits and discounts to customer accounts, significantly reducing debt loads for households struggling to make payments. 

Since public utilities need non-rate revenue sources to assist customers who cannot pay their bills, the SFPUC continues to work with state and federal partners to set up on-going debt relief programs that support households with low incomes and set them on the path to financial sustainability for essential water, power, and wastewater services.  

Throughout the pandemic the SFPUC has taken action to support customers who lost income as a result of COVID-19. The agency launched emergency assistance programs that provided discounts to more than 6,000 residential, small business, and nonprofit customers. The agency also suspended water and power shutoffs due to late payments, postponed liens and collections, waived late fees, and provided rental payment deferments for tenants of our facilities.  
 

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. We deliver drinking water to 2.7 million people in the San Francisco Bay Area, collect and treat wastewater for the City and County of San Francisco, and meet more than 75% of the electricity demand in San Francisco. 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.sfpuc.gov.