CHAPTER 23:
DRINK TAP ORDINANCE

 

Sec. 2301.	Findings.
Sec. 2302.	Short Title and Purpose.
Sec. 2303.	Definitions.
Sec. 2304.	Mandatory Provision of Clean, Free Drinking Water.
Sec. 2305.	Implementation.

 

SEC. 2301. FINDINGS.

   The Board of Supervisors finds that:

    (a)   The City and County of San Francisco has a longstanding commitment to environmental sustainability through the prohibition of bottled water purchases by the San Francisco City and County Government, as instructed by Executive Directive 07-07.

    (b)   The Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System operated by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission delivers pristine drinking water, which is stored in the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, meets or exceeds all federal and state criteria for drinking water quality, and is tested over 100,000 times per year.

   (c)   Bottled water is bad for the environment. More than one billion water bottles end up in California's trash each year – taking up valuable landfill space, leaking toxic chemicals such as phalates into the ground water, and taking 1,000 years to degrade. It takes an estimated 2,000 times more energy to produce bottled water than it does to produce an equivalent amount of tap water. Bottled water adds to greenhouse gas emissions because high amounts of oil are used to manufacture the plastic bottles, in addition to the emissions resulting from the transportation of the bottles to stores.

   (d)   Bottled water is expensive. Americans spent $10.6 billion on bottled water in 2009 and paid up to 1,000 times the cost of tap water.

   (e)   Bottled water is potentially a health hazard. A growing number of scientific studies are pointing to the harmful effects of chemicals in the plastic that can leach into the water and be consumed. Further, most branded bottled water companies do not disclose their water sources, treatment methods or contaminants found in the water.

   (f)   The City and County of San Francisco is dedicated to being a good environmental steward by promoting water conservation efforts and educating residents about the environmental, economic, and health benefits of drinking tap water.

(Added by Ord. 109-13 , File No. 120488, App. 6/21/2013, Eff. 7/21/2013)

SEC. 2302. SHORT TITLE AND PURPOSE.

   (a)   This Chapter shall be entitled "the Drink Tap Ordinance."

   (b)   The purpose of this Chapter is to improve access to clean, free drinking water for residents and visitors of the City and County of San Francisco by providing bottle filling stations.

(Added by Ord. 109-13 , File No. 120488, App. 6/21/2013, Eff. 7/21/2013)

SEC. 2303. DEFINITIONS.

For the purposes of this Chapter, the following words shall have the following meanings:

   (a)    "Drink Tap Station" means a bottle filling unit that:

      (1)   Supplies potable water;

      (2)   Delivers a minimum of 8.0 gallons per hour (gph) of ambient water;

      (3)   Is wall or floor mounted and is a separate unit or a combination unit including a drinking fountain; and,

      (4)   Complies with the California Title 24 accessibility standards, is listed by an approved listing agency, and is certified to be lead-free compliant, including NSF/ANSI.61-Annex G, AB1953.

   (b)   "Drinking fountain" means a fixture regulated by Chapter 4 of the California Plumbing Code (Title 24, Part 5, of the California Code of Regulations).

   (c)   "New construction" means a building that has never before been used or occupied for any purpose and does not include additions, alterations, or repairs.

(Added by Ord. 109-13 , File No. 120488, App. 6/21/2013, Eff. 7/21/2013)

SEC. 2304. MANDATORY PROVISION OF CLEAN, FREE DRINKING WATER.

   (a)   For new construction that provides one or more drinking fountains, the project sponsor shall provide a Drink Tap Station with each such fixture installation.

   (b)   This Chapter shall apply to buildings owned by the City, as well as to privately-owned buildings.

(Added by Ord. 109-13 , File No. 120488, App. 6/21/2013, Eff. 7/21/2013)