The City of San Bruno has agreed to a plan to reduce its recurring sewage spills that contaminate San Francisco Bay and its tributaries. Baykeeper brought suit against San Bruno in February 2010 in order to secure aggressive repairs to the City's faulty sewage system.
San Bruno has agreed to reduce its spills over a ten-year period and will improve its operations and maintenance practices to meet or exceed industry standards. Additionally, the City will fund a nearly $200,000 grant program that will assist eligible homeowners in replacing broken private sewage lines.
We are also excited to announce that the settlement will fund a grant of $95,000 to the Marine Mammal Center to assist in the rescue and rehabilitation of marine mammals that have been adversely affected by human activities, as well as a $50,000 grant to fund restoration and conservation efforts by other Bay-focused nonprofit organizations.
This agreement is the lastest victory in Baykeeper's fight against sewage pollution in the Bay. Untreated and partially treated sewage contains pathogens that can cause a variety of illnesses and industrial wastewater that can contain chemicals harmful to the ecosystem. Read more about our recent work to reduce sewage spills to the Bay.
Photo: Flickr(CC) by eekim