1.8 billion gallons of sewage illegally dumped in SF Bay, EPA alleges

Hamza Fahmy
·1 min read
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1.8 billion gallons of sewage illegally dumped in SF Bay, EPA alleges

(KRON) –  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) filed a civil complaint in federal court today against the City and County of San Francisco for claims of Clean Water Act violations spanning the last decade.

According to the EPA, over 1.8 billion gallons of combined sewage have been discharged in creeks, the SF Bay, and the Pacific Ocean “without receiving disinfection treatment.”

The EPA said untreated sewage contains pathogens such as E. coli, which can cause severe illness if ingested and also affect vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly.

The complaint said the sewage discharge also interferes with the state’s designated uses for these water bodies, which include water recreation and protecting aquatic life.

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“San Francisco’s aging wastewater system has exposed the public to risks for too long,” said Alexis Strauss, Chair of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Not only has the city been violating the state’s Clean Water Act, but the EPA says San Francisco has also “consistently failed to properly notify the public,” too.

San Francisco began planning to address its combined sewer overflows in the 1970s and completed construction of planned controls over 25 years ago.

Since the completion of those controls, no significant upgrades or updates have been made to the system to reduce combined sewer overflows, the EPA said.

Currently, the controls are insufficient to meet the requirements of San Francisco’s Clean Water Act permits, the complaint said.

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“This is the time to commit to an outcome that reduces sewage overflows and builds upgraded wastewater infrastructure. Our goal is to help San Francisco achieve a healthy Bay and coastline, which can be enjoyed by millions of residents and visitors every day,” Strauss said.

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