Reporter's notes: Sewage Happens
photo courtesy of the San Francisco Public Utilities CommissionWe’d had "aging infrastructure" on our story lists for some time when we first heard about the sewage spills in Mill Valley. When news came in that not just one, but two sewage spills had poured five million gallons of partially treated wastewater into Richardson Bay, we decided to move that story to the top of the list.
Those spills got a lot of coverage, including by KQED, so our question was a little broader. Were those spills an anomaly? (Answer: No, they were big, but not unusual.) And how does this happen in as eco-conscious a place as the Bay Area? What would it take to stop it?
The two Mill Valley spills seem to have resulted from a few different problems: overwhelmed capacity, failed alarms, operator error, and probably other factors, too. But the underlying cause is the same, and it’s true of many sewage systems in the Bay Area: These systems — the pipes, the digesters, the pumps – are reaching the end of their useful lives. (Some of the older clay pipes were built in the 1850s!) Few cities are jumping to do the necessary upgrades, and who can blame them? What’s less sexy than an expensive, disruptive construction project that takes place mostly underground, out of sight?
Still, as we say in the piece, we’ve done it before. Those who lived in the Bay Area before the 1970s may remember the stench of raw sewage drifting up through the car window as they crossed the Bay. Thanks to the Clean Water Act of 1972, the Bay is vastly cleaner than it used to be and there are far less spills.
So what will it take to get cities to pony up the cash this time around? Baykeeper is taking the issue to the courts – you can read more about their Sick of Sewage campaign here: http://www.baykeeper.org/
You may listen to the "Sewage Happens" Radio report online, as well as find additional links and resources.
Amy Standen is a Reporter for QUEST and Radio News at KQED-FM.
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Marin Sewage Spills Leading to Shorter Showers?
Just when we got used to long showers and unlimited irrigation, will Marin residents be asked to conserve water again? It wouldn’t be to conserve water directly, as important an environmental issue as that may be, but rather to reduce the amount of wastewater generated. And it wouldn’t affect Marin real estate during the hot summer months, but rather during the winter rainy season.
Two large sewage spills (that we know about) occurred last month in Marin during peak winter storms. Sewage spills, or blended releases, into the San Francisco Bay during the winter are not uncommon, largely because of the infiltration of rainwater into old sewers. These combined flows of sewage and rainwater can exceed the capacity of the treatment systems to fully treat them, and can result in environmental contamination of the Bay. While there seems to be plenty of blame to go around, will there come a point where ordinary homeowners may be asked to change their behavior to minimize wastewater discharges during peak winter storms?
Public water conservation ethics usually change somewhat during the rainy portion of the year. Without thirsty landscaping to deal with, water bills plummet. My theory is that, with water plentiful, faucets flow freely, showers are longer, and most of us don’t think about water usage (and hence wastewater discharge) during the winter. Who would when it’s flooding out there? But will the latest spills change attitudes?
There are a few easy thing any Marin homeowner can do during peak storms to reduce wastewater discharge, including:
· Water conservation measures, such as low flow toilets, shower heads,
· During and shortly after big storms, taking shorter showers and/or reducing water use,
· Promptly repairing leaks in pipelines, valves, etc.
· Scheduling clothes washing (if possible) or other high water useage until well after a big storm, and running full loads, and
· Installing instant (point of use) hot water systems that reduce the discharge of cold water while lines heat up.
Check your local building codes of course before changing anything.
In the long run, the root causes of the sewage spills need to be addressed. Operator errors need to be minimized, old leaking sewers repaired or replaced, and systems expanded to handle the total flows expected. And in the end, the amount of rainwater leaking into sewer lines likely far exceeds the homeowner sewage inputs. But this is still Marin, where environmental ethics run strong. It would not be surprising if homeowners were asked to at least consider reducing their generation of wastewater during the winter, to do their environmental part if you will. Email me at Patrick@PriRealtor.com for other homeowner environmental improvement tips.
Patrick Ritter is a real estate broker and licensed civil engineer. His real estate business, located in San Anselmo, specializes in properties with environmental or engineering issues. http://www.@PriRealtor.com