San Francisco plans to power-wash the poop out of the Tenderloin

San Francisco has seen a five-fold increase in complaints about human feces since 2011. San Francisco has seen a five-fold increase in complaints about human feces since 2011. Photo: San Francisco Dept. Of Public Works Photo: San Francisco Dept. Of Public Works Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close San Francisco plans to power-wash the poop out of the Tenderloin 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

The Tenderloin should soon see fewer piles of feces waiting to befoul the shoes of hapless pedestrians.

San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney is announcing a plan Tuesday that will power-wash the sidewalks on every block of the city's most poop-plagued neighborhood once a week instead of the current rate of once a month.

Haney's district was allocated $260,000 for cleaning under this year's budget.

Some 25,000 reports of human waste were logged through the city's 311 services this year through October. The number of complaints across the city for all of 2018 was 28,084.

In parts of the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods, it's not uncommon to see people openly defecating.

As Supervisor, I've been committed to fighting for deep regular sidewalk power washing across D6. Today, alongside the @TLCBD, we are finally announcing pressure washing of every TL block once a week. TL and SOMA residents deserve clean and healthy streets and sidewalks. https://t.co/GseUJstqrm — Matt Haney (@MattHaneySF) December 3, 2019

The city's "Poop Patrol," a five-person team tasked with removing excrement, will be handling the power-washing duties. At Haney's press conference Tuesday, a new portable pressure-washing system was to be showcased.

Based on the San Francisco Chronicle's estimate that each Poop Patrol employee earned a $184,000 in pay, perquisites and pension benefits, Forbes calculated that each human waste case cost taxpayers $32.75 in 2018.

Responses to Haney's plan on Twitter were mixed, with one calling the action a "band aid that doesn't stop the real problem" and others noting that the plan will flush raw sewage into the bay via storm drains.

Haney has also called for the city's Pit Stop public bathrooms to remain open 24 hours a day. A pilot program launched in August staffed 3 of city's 25 mobile public bathrooms around the clock, with the bulk of the funding coming from Haney's district budget.

straight to the bay, well played.



sanctuary for some, hell for others. pic.twitter.com/D2BVJLGd9R — Mike Mercer (@MikeMer96214869) December 3, 2019

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Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Digital Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate