Army Corps WRDA Requests
In December 2020, the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020 was signed into law – delivering important wins for San Francisco, particularly protecting our Embarcadero Seawall from earthquake and flooding risks.
As the climate crisis exacts an accelerating toll on our communities, this legislation took bold steps to strengthen and improve our nation’s vital water infrastructure, on which millions of Californians and Americans across the country depend. These Army Corps of Engineers initiatives will create good-paying jobs upgrading harbor infrastructure and preserving critical natural resources that allow our local economies to grow and thrive.
As the House prepares to build on this progress with a WRDA 2022 bill, the following requests have been submitted.
Project Name: Seismic Equity
Intended Recipient: Port of San Francisco
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The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020 enacted equity protections for projects in earthquake-prone areas, ensuring that the need for seismic protections does not endanger project approval. However, the United States Army Corps of Engineers has interpreted these protections as only applying to inland flooding areas, excluding coastal areas. The Port of San Francisco has requested legislative language eliminating this disparity and ensuring that coastal areas receive equal consideration.
Project Name: SFO Advanced Water Treatment Plant & Recycled Water Distribution
Request Amount: $135,000,000
Intended Recipient: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
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San Francisco International Airport is requesting authorization for $135 million in funding to construct a new water treatment plant to process all waste and stormwater collected on its campus, replacing SFO’s outdated, limited-capacity facility. This new treatment plant will recycle up to 40% of campus-wide wastewater for reuse across SFO facilities, reducing the airport’s water consumption by at least 25%. This treatment facility will also enable SFO to prevent environmental contamination caused by polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), harmful “forever chemicals” used in firefighting foams for aircraft. As a non-federal sponsor, SFO will fund the new plant’s operations, maintenance and replacement costs. If this authorization is signed into law, the project will then be able to secure funding in future appropriations bills.
Project Name: San Francisco Bay Study Authority: Tidal Flooding
Intended Recipient: Port of San Francisco
Support: Click Here
WRDA 2020 amended the San Francisco Bay study authority to include new measures for adapting to tidal flooding caused by sea-level rise and expanded the study to include the bay shorelines of San Francisco and Marin counties as well as the ocean shorelines of San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties. The Port of San Francisco has requested legislative language ensuring that tidal flooding receives the same treatment as costal storm flooding, including for federal cost sharing purposes.
Project Name: Reconstruction of Airfield Storm Drain Pump Stations 1A and 1B at SFO
Request Amount: $75,000,000
Intended Recipient: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
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Certification: Click Here
San Francisco International Airport is requesting authorization for $75 million to replace outdated, non-compliant storm drain pumps. New wet-well outfall pipes and trestles will be elevated 10 feet in order to meet FEMA, FAA and San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) requirements. These critical facilities ensure that contaminated storm water is properly pumped and treated before returning to surrounding waterways. Pump failures could result in environmental harm as well as the flooding of runways or adjacent facilities – potentially halting airport operations and inflicting millions of dollars in damage. As a non-federal sponsor, SFO will fund the new pumps’ operations, maintenance and replacement costs. If this authorization is signed into law, the project will then be able to secure funding in future appropriations bills.
Project Name: Upgrading SFO Treatment Plant to Reduce Harmful Nutrients
Request Amount: $60,000,000
Intended Recipient: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Support: Click Here
Certification: Click Here
San Francisco International Airport is requesting authorization for $60 million in funding to upgrade water treatment equipment, replacing sanitary batch reactors with an aerobic granular sludge (AGS) system. This will allow SFO to more efficiently treat wastewater for ammonia and nutrient loads – significant contributors to harmful algae blooms in the San Francisco Bay. By improving its treatment process, SFO will be able to meet a projected increase in load demand while continuing to protect the surrounding environment. The decrease in passengers caused by the pandemic also offers a unique opportunity to install the AGS system, allowing SFO to avoid costly downtime by upgrading a portion of the treatment plant while keeping the other portion online. As a non-federal sponsor, SFO will fund the new system’s operations, maintenance and replacement costs. If this authorization is signed into law, the project will then be able to secure funding in future appropriations bills.