Understanding water policy sustainability: A case study in San Francisco and San Jose California

This research works to create a clearer understanding of sustainability in water policy through an examination of current water policies in San Francisco and San Jose, California. San Francisco was selected because it appears on various lists of as one of the “Most Sustainable US Cities.” San Jose was chosen as a control city based on being similar in demographics, climate, and in the same state, but did not appear on any sustainability lists. A comparison of the sustainability of water policies between the two cities was undertaken based on the traditional pillars of social, economic, and environmental themes highlighted in the literature. The results suggest that, as expected and for the most part, San Francisco has more sustainable policies than San Jose, although there is overlap. The environmental pillar was the least included of the three traditional pillars in each city while economic interests were the most prevalent. San Francisco was only missing two of the twenty-one themes while San Jose was missing ten. This cursory research suggests that to increase sustainability within water policy city agencies, policy writers, and water board members should address these themes in the writing of water policy. The study did not attempt to address the effectiveness of any policies.