Two San Francisco multifamily high rises install onsite water recycling systems

Two high-rise apartment buildings in San Francisco have installed onsite water recycling systems that will reuse a total of 3.9 million gallons of wastewater annually. The recycled water will be used for toilet flushing, cooling towers, and landscape irrigation to significantly reduce water usage in both buildings.

The system at Chorus, a 467,000 sf, 26‑story luxury apartment building at the intersection of Hayes Valley, SoMa, and the Mission neighborhoods, will recycle up to 2.9 million gallons of water annually. The system at The Landing, a 308,000 sf multifamily apartment building in the Dogpatch neighborhood, will recycle up to 1 million gallons of water annually. Water recycling pioneer Epic Cleantec will operate the systems.

The owner of the properties, Sentral, will become the first in the city with two buildings to have onsite water recycling systems operating when they become operational in May. San Francisco leads the nation in utilizing onsite water recycling to manage rapid urban growth, relieve pressure on centralized infrastructure, and protect regional freshwater resources. Los Angeles, New York, Sacramento, and Austin have also implemented laws and/or are incentivizing onsite reuse for new buildings of a certain size.

In November 2022, Epic Cleantec unveiled the city’s first operational onsite water reuse system in a 40-story high-rise apartment building in downtown San Francisco. “Onsite water reuse is not just a sustainability initiative: it's a vital component of responsible urban development, especially in a water-stressed city like San Francisco,” said Roman Speron, chief development officer at Sentral.

Chorus consists of 416 apartment homes from studios to 3-bedroom units with top-of-the-line appliances and premium finishes. Amenities include a full-length rooftop pool, outdoor American Ninja Warrior-inspired course, speakeasy-style game room, private conference rooms, lobby cocktail bar and direct access to Chorus Hall, the city's newest performing arts destination.

The Landing is a 263-unit residential building built into the side of Potrero Hill with expansive, unobstructed views peering over the Dogpatch neighborhood and out to the bay. The structure has the benefits and services of high-rise living but the feel of townhomes around a shared Mews. Apartments range from studio to 3-bedrooms with indoor and outdoor amenity spaces designed to foster community and connectivity, including a lobby café and lounge, Room-of-all-Trades creative space, and a half-acre private rooftop park.

On the team:
Developer: Align Real Estate
Design architect: Multistudio (Chorus); Perry Architects and Min Design (The Landing)
General contractor: Turner Construction (Chorus); Build Group (The Landing)