Francisco Park Stormwater Reutilization

The old Francisco Reservoir was a 4.5-acre eyesore of an unused public open space in the heart of San Francisco. Built in 1859, the reservoir was decommissioned in 1940 and sat vacant for a further 79 years until 2019 when construction began. This project was born from the combined desire to convert a dilapidated structure into an environmentally friendly park system. From 2008 to present day, 14 design agencies, 26 community support organizations, 27 local companies, and dozens of volunteers joined to create a unique, urban park landscape in this underutilized, dilapidated public space. The design team utilized a system in which stormwater is collected, stored, treated, and recycled. This design included a storage system that could support an aboveground park system and an underground collection system that will reutilize stormwater to irrigate the park’s community garden and grass fields, and for use in flushing public toilets. This presentation will address and highlight the complexities and successes of this project, the opportunity to design more effective systems, and the details associated with a complex stormwater management system in the hope that others will replicate this success on future projects.