Sustainability

Providing safe drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services to residents in the city of Sacramento is the Department of Utilities’ highest priority.

Delivering these services in a way that is environmentally responsible and equitable is an important piece of making Sacramento a healthy and thriving community.

The goal of the Department of Utilities is to plan for current and future generations by protecting, preserving and enhancing water resources, the environment and the community. Three objectives can help to address challenges facing the City of Sacramento:

Become a “carbon neutral” utility by 2045.
Achieve climate resiliency in utility infrastructure and operations.
Advance and prioritize equity and environmental justice in plans, policies and programs.

A Holistic APPROACH

Ensuring the equitable involvement of all communities will help to protect the distribution and maintenance of all water, wastewater, and stormwater systems in a sustainable way.

Eight areas have been identified to help organize those efforts:

climate change
greenhouse gas emissions
energy efficiency
water conservation
waste management
sustainable infrastructure
diversity, equity, and inclusion
innovation

RISK AND VULNERABILIties

We are working with the EPA to understand and address climate change risks facing the Department of Utilities and the residents of Sacramento.

These include increased vulnerabilities due to drought, flooding and other extreme weather events that Sacramento’s critical infrastructure experiences due to climate change.

GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY

We are conducting a greenhouse gas emissions inventory to quantify and analyze the department’s current carbon emissions.

The inventory is calculated annually which will help the Department of Utilities assess and reduce its carbon footprint.

Water-Energy Nexus Registry

The Water-Energy Nexus Registry is a tool to help water agencies and utilities understand energy and greenhouse gas emissions associated with water management and use.

As a founding member, the Department of Utilities will use the tool -- which was created by the CalEPA and the Climate Registry-- to become more energy efficient and reduce its carbon footprint.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Find tips on how to be more water efficient.
Get free help with indoor and outdoor leaks.
Help keep pollution out of our storm drains and rivers.
Upgrade your lawn with water efficient, low-maintenance features with river-friendly landscaping.
Visit the Department of Utilities demonstration garden, which highlights drought-tolerant landscaping and irrigation.
Follow our Facebook page for news and events.

CONTACT US

Samuel Leu LEED AP BD+C
Sustainability Analyst
(916) 808-6281
sleu@cityofsacramento.org

Sam Leu has worked in land development and stormwater design projects overseas and in Colorado. He is LEED- and WELL-accredited, with a bachelors of science degree in civil engineering from Penn State University, a master of science degree in sustainable practice from Lipscomb University and a graduate certificate in corporate sustainability and innovation from Harvard University.