SFPUC approves $35.5 million modification to complete system-wide wastewater control upgrades

SFPUC approves $35.5 million modification to complete system-wide wastewater control upgradesThe San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has authorized the final phase of a progressive design-build contract to modernize the distributed control system across its wastewater enterprise.

Modification 3 adds $35.5 million to the contract with Emerson Process Management Power and Water Solutions, bringing the total not-to-exceed amount to $83,050,600.

The funding will complete system-wide design, initiate construction at the Oceanside plant, and finalize integration with the Southeast plant's biosolids project.

Approximately $700,000 of the modification will integrate new wastewater facilities at Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island into the mainland control system.

Originally estimated at $51 million in 2015, the project has utilized a progressive design-build approach to manage scope and coordinate with overlapping sewer system improvements.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) unanimously approved a $35.5 million contract modification on March 24, 2026, to finalize its Wastewater Enterprise Distributed Control System (DCS) upgrades. The approval of Modification 3 to the progressive design-build contract with Emerson Process Management Power and Water Solutions brings the total not-to-exceed amount to $83,050,600. Project manager Maria Cristal Cruz stated that this is anticipated to be the final modification needed to encompass all facilities within the city's combined sewer system. The DCS serves as the computerized system of the wastewater enterprise, looping in field devices, pumps, gates, and valves to enable monitoring and control of the system. The progressive design-build contract, originally established to focus on the Southeast plant, has been gradually expanded through commission authorizations to include the Oceanside facilities, North Point, and various pump stations. According to Cruz, Modification 3 will fund the completion of system-wide design, initiate construction efforts at the Oceanside plant, and enable crucial field testing and commissioning for the Southeast plant's new biosolids facility. The modification also includes approximately $700,000 to integrate newly built wastewater facilities at Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island, allowing them to be viewed and controlled from the mainland Southeast plant. To date, the project team has completed all new control system standards and finished 80% of the field verification for existing conditions. Design work is currently 65% complete at the Southeast plant and 35% complete at Oceanside and the pump stations. During the meeting, commissioners noted the project's budget evolution, acknowledging that initial estimates from 2015 projected a cost of approximately $51 million. Commission President Arce defended the current $83 million total, citing the region's high construction costs and praising the progressive design-build delivery method for providing better control over the complex, overlapping infrastructure upgrades.