For Immediate Release

May 17, 2010

Contact:  (415) 554-6931     

SF PUBLIC WORKS RECEIVES NATIONAL ACCREDITATION 



ANNOUNCEMENT COMES AS CITY CELEBRATES PUBLIC WORKS WEEK

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Department of Public Works (DPW) announced today that it achieved accreditation from the American Public Works Association (APWA), an international educational and professional association of public and private agencies. San Francisco joins just four other municipalities in California and was only the 57th agency in the country to receive the accreditation.



“This is an outstanding achievement and demonstrates San Francisco’s commitment to modernizing, maintaining, and improving our public infrastructure,” said Mayor Gavin Newsom. “Public Works services are essential to the beauty, livelihood, vibrancy, and sustainability of our great City. I commend and applaud the men and women that contribute to these efforts every day.” 



APWA auditors found that DPW met national standards for all 306 practices that the department performs, and recognized four practices as model practices: the department’s Strategic Plan, Strategic plan review process, capital and infrastructure asset reporting, and distribution of hazardous materials information. 



“We work hard to beautify the City while protecting and improving San Francisco’s infrastructure and we do so 24 hours a day and seven days a week,” said Ed Reiskin, Director of DPW. “This accreditation reflects our drive to professionalize the department and employ best practices so that we can most effectively execute our mission in service to the people of San Francisco.  Our progress is made possible by the strategic partnerships we have formed with agencies in our city family and with the many diverse communities in San Francisco.”



DPW is celebrating National Public Works Week (May 16-22) by hosting a series of activities, including hosting an Open House at its Operations Yard on Wednesday, May 19, at 9:00 am at 2323 Cesar Chavez Street where 500 4th and 5th graders from San Francisco schools will learn, first-hand how DPW keeps the city clean and green. Students will drive green machines, build planters and plant drought tolerant plants, participate in ‘sewer tours’ and learn about the value of a clean city by attending a “Stop Litter” educational class.



The Department of Public Works is responsible for the care and maintenance of San Francisco’s streets and much of its infrastructure. The department cleans and resurfaces streets, plants and maintains city street trees; designs, constructs and maintains city-owned facilities, inspects streets and sidewalks, constructs curb ramps, removes graffiti from public property, and partners with the diverse neighborhoods in San Francisco to provide stellar cleaning and greening services.



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