Baykeeper

San Francisco Bay is a natural treasure.  It’s a big part of what makes the Bay Area such a wonderful place to live.  Baykeeper works to stop pollution in the beautiful Bay that we all love so much.  Here’s an example of how we do it:

For years, Bay Area sewage systems spilled millions of gallons of raw and undertreated sewage into San Francisco Bay and into creeks and rivers that flow into the Bay. The primary cause was that sewer collection systems and treatment plants had become dilapidated. Sewage contains bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. When windsurfers, swimmers, boaters, and others come in contact with water contaminated with raw or undertreated sewage, it can cause persistent skin and sinus infections and painful stomach disorders. Sewage can also deplete oxygen in the Bay, threatening fish, seals, other sea creatures and plant life.

Ten of the worst-polluting sewer agencies were contaminating the waters of south San Francisco Bay. Baykeeper sued these sewer agencies under the federal Clean Water Act.  Our legal and science team provided expert recommendations on what the sewer agencies needed to do to stop the pollution. The sewer agencies then signed legally-binding agreements requiring them to make infrastructure upgrades and repairs to protect San Francisco Bay from sewage pollution, on a year-by-year timetable. Now, sewer agencies along south San Francisco Bay have reduced their sewage spills by 50-90%. Two sewer agencies have completed all repairs and are no longer causing sewage pollution problems for the Bay. Baykeeper will keep monitoring the progress of repairs and upgrades until sewage pollution is no longer a problem in San Francisco Bay.

That’s an example of how Baykeeper stops pollution in San Francisco Bay. 

Because of Baykeeper’s legal actions, 33 Bay Area industrial facilities are also putting in new controls to keep toxic contamination out of San Francisco Bay, thanks to Baykeeper. Thirteen of these facilities are located in Santa Clara, San Mateo, or San Francisco counties.

A gift to support Baykeeper’s work will help make San Francisco Bay healthier for wildlife, safer for recreation, and more sustainable for all.