SAN FRANCISCO, CA — The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s (SFPUC) new Treasure Island Water Resource Recovery Facility, now under construction, has earned the Envision Platinum Award, marking a milestone in sustainable water infrastructure. Given by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI), the Envision Platinum Award recognizes projects that demonstrate exceptional environmental, social, and economic benefits.
To obtain this designation, projects must complete independent verification through ISI to confirm the project was delivered sustainably. According to ISI, only three wastewater treatment plants in the United States have earned an Envision Platinum Award, with Treasure Island becoming the second in California. The project is being delivered by PCL Construction, Inc. in partnership with Stantec.
The $165 million wastewater treatment facility is part of a major redevelopment project for Treasure Island. The island is being transformed into a mixed-use neighborhood with up to 8,000 new homes, public spaces, and commercial developments. The new facility, scheduled to be completed in 2026, will replace an aging wastewater treatment plant. It is designed to process up to 3.9 million gallons of water per day.
To achieve an Envision Platinum Award, SFPUC, PCL, and Stantec prioritized sustainable design and construction practices that reduce environmental impact and enhance community benefits. Key innovations include:
- Reduce operational water consumption: The project team completed a water inventory that showed more than 61 million gallons of water are needed annually to operate the wastewater treatment facility. However, they identified strategies to reduce potable water use by more than 98 percent of that baseline, saving over 60 million gallons per year. The remaining 2 percent of potable water used will be captured, treated, and reused as utility water for the facility or recycled water for landscape irrigation and toilet flushing.
- Provide recycled water for the community: The facility will generate between 156 and 357 million gallons of Title 22 recycled water for community use each year.
- Biological nutrient removal: The new facility will treat wastewater to a tertiary level, producing high-quality effluent that also undergoes biological nutrient removal. This process reduces biodegradable organic matter, suspended solids, and nitrogen in the effluent discharged into San Francisco Bay, lowering the risk of harmful algal blooms.
- Stakeholder involvement: The project team has collaborated with organizations representing both current and future residents of Treasure Island. They have also partnered with local nonprofit organizations and school districts to provide funding, volunteer support, training, and internships for a wide range of community programs.
- Enhance public space and amenities: A key objective of the project is to transform part of a former U.S. Navy site on Treasure Island into public space. The existing gravel lot will be replaced with a modernized wastewater treatment facility that includes wetlands, landscaped areas, architecture, and public artwork featured on the building facades.
| Your local Trimble Construction Division dealer |
|---|
| SITECH West |
| SITECH Southwest |
“This award underscores our commitment to environmental leadership,” SFPUC General Manager Dennis Herrera said. “This project is delivering San Francisco’s first wastewater facility with nutrient removal as we continue to invest in bay health and help address a regional issue. We’re also preparing for sea level rise and advancing long-term environmental solutions. This project includes industry-leading water conservation. It will also supply recycled water for irrigation and toilet flushing and transform a former U.S. Navy site into wetlands and public space. This is another example of our commitment to strong environmental stewardship, being a good neighbor, and investing responsibly in San Francisco’s future.”
“PCL’s experience in delivering nearly 500 water and wastewater projects enabled us to implement solutions that achieved an Envision Platinum Award, reinforcing our commitment to sustainable infrastructure,” said Richard Hewitt, Vice President and District Manager for PCL’s Civil Infrastructure Division. “Envision is more than just a project milestone; it reflects our role as community builders who prioritize sustainability. It’s about making a lasting impact by reducing waste, protecting the environment, and enhancing the communities we serve.”
“At Stantec, sustainability is at our core, and we are honored to work with partners who share that commitment,” said Billy Wong, Regional Growth Leader at Stantec. “We kept the Treasure Island community in mind every step of the way during the design of this project, and we believe it will have a lasting impact.”
