California Water News Daily Your Source For Water News in California
Beginning October 1 wastewater treatment plants will have to collectively reduce nitrogen discharges into the San Francisco Bay by 40 percent compared to 2022.
A new permit adopted by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board last week requires nutrient reductions for all wastewater treatment plants discharging into the bay.
Nutrients are discharged into the bay from sewage treatment plants’ wastewater. Excessive nutrients are a major contributor to HABs, which cause a dramatic depletion in dissolved oxygen levels, killing aquatic species. Toxins from HABs can cause illnesses through direct contact, inhalation, and fish and shellfish poisoning. HABs can be particularly devastating to indigenous communities and subsistence fishers.
“This permit will significantly reduce the likelihood of large harmful algal blooms and resulting fish kills, and it represents a significant investment by Bay Area wastewater agencies to come together to improve the health of San Francisco Bay for all,” said Alexis Strauss Hacker, chair of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Board. “The permit is based on many years of monitoring and research with our partners, namely the Bay Area-wide wastewater agencies and the San Francisco Estuary Institute. By reducing nitrogen loadings to the bay over the coming decade, we will strengthen protection of water quality for all in the region.”
Under the permit, sewage treatment plants have 10 years to complete necessary improvements. Some already have completed improvements or are undertaking construction. Many others are planning improvements. And some will require major upgrades that could take years to complete.
Sewage treatment agencies have options to comply with the new permit, ranging from optimizing existing systems to constructing entirely new treatment processes. Nature-based approaches, such as treatment wetlands, can provide multiple environmental and community benefits in addition to nutrient removal. Wastewater recycling can reduce nutrient discharges while augmenting water supplies.
