Water Resources Manager

Thomas (Tom) Francis is the Water Resources Manager of the Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency (BAWSCA), comprising 26 utilities that purchase water from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) for resale to their local service areas, that if totaled include over 1.7 million customers.  The Agency represents its members’ collective interests in their relationship with the SFPUC on matters related to water supply, facility reliability, operations, water quality and wholesale water rates.  Mr. Francis joined BAWSCA in 2016.

In his role as the Water Resources Manager, Mr. Francis oversees BAWSCA’s water supply management efforts including water reliability planning, supply acquisition and water conservation.  Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, he is responsible for the implementation of the Long-Term Reliable Water Supply Strategy, and oversees the SFPUC’s $4.6 billion Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) on behalf of the BAWSCA agencies.  Mr. Francis also manages the design and execution of BAWSCA’s award winning regional water conservation programs and other regional supply planning activities with the SFPUC and surrounding water agencies.   

Prior to working for BAWSCA, Mr. Francis worked as a Senior Engineer for East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) from 2003 to 2016. In that role he was responsible for the development of new sources of water supply including groundwater, rainwater, and desalination projects.  He also helped prepare EBMUD’s Water Supply Management Program 2040, a long range water supply planning document. 

Earlier in his career, Mr. Francis was employed by Ducks Unlimited, Inc., serving as their lead regional engineer on wetland enhancement and waterfowl habitat creation projects. Mr. Francis also worked as a consultant for Golder Associates, Inc., tasked primarily with the development of dam and spillway designs.

Mr. Francis has a BS in Civil Engineering from South Dakota State University, an MS in Civil Engineering from Purdue University, and an MBA from Emory University.  Mr. Francis is married and resides in Berkeley, California.