Weather
Berkeley Sewage Released Into San Francisco Bay
Raw and partially treated sewage flowed into San Francisco Bay from Berkeley and other cities.
BERKELEY, CA — Bay Area environmental advocates called Friday for more investment in sewer infrastructure after the ongoing series of winter storms has caused the release of raw sewage directly into the San Francisco Bay.
Sewage treatment plants overseen by the East Bay Municipal Utility District overflowed multiple times in Oakland and Alameda on Dec. 31, 2022, according to the district.
Overflows of raw and partially processed sewage also occurred at manholes in Albany, Berkeley and Alameda, EBMUD said this week.
Find out what's happening in Berkeleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"Sanitary sewer overflows are caused when rain enters the sanitary sewer system and overwhelms the storage and treatment capacity of EBMUD's treatment plants," EBMUD said in a statement. "Ideally, sanitary sewer systems treat human waste from toilets, showers, and sinks, with little impact from rainfall."
Officials with the nonprofit San Francisco Baykeeper argued that modernizing the region's sewage treatment infrastructure would prevent future sewage pollution that can sicken people and kill plants and animals.
Find out what's happening in Berkeleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
People are encouraged to stay out of the Bay and local bodies of water that feed into the Bay for at least 72 hours after a major storm ends.
"We can see that climate change is fueling more and more violent storms, yet the Bay Area's sewage treatment plants are sorely outdated," San Francisco Baykeeper executive director Sejal Choksi-Chugh said in a statement. "Much of our sewage treatment system is unable to handle the increasing frequency and intensity of our regular winter storms."
EBMUD lifted its advisory about the sewage discharge on Thursday. Bay Area residents can contact EBMUD with questions about sewer overflows by calling (510) 287-1651 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or (866) 403-2683 after business hours.
Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.
