The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) provides drinking water, green power, and wastewater. In addition to operating the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System, which serves 2.7 million customers in San Francisco and wholesale through 26 water agencies in Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Mateo counties, SFPUC owns and operates all aspects of the Hetch Hetchy Power System, which provides 100% greenhouse gas-free electricity. Civic Edge began working with SFPUC on multiple projects in 2022, focusing on community engagement and equity-focused communications and outreach.
Collaborating closely with SFPUC’s communications team, Civic Edge approaches each project with humility. We have focused on building relationships between SFPUC and community based organizations to raise up the key interests and concerns of the neighborhoods and communities being served by SFPUC. These partnerships have contributed to communications and outreach planning. They have encouraged reflections on how to authentically engage and receive honest feedback, lower barriers to participation, and get the word out most effectively. Several initiatives have meant starting from scratch and thinking up the frameworks and systems for carrying out the ideas. Each project, at its core, is about inspiring public trust in SFPUC and its services. Close coordination within Civic Edge and across projects with SFPUC has made it easier to share findings and insights to build on with each new project.