Quote:

Originally Posted by gangbangjoe wtf is that ?

I would not enter the SF Bay without every orifice plugged tight.


"Until recently, California did not have mandatory testing programs for its coastal waters. Monitoring and public notification were left up to local agencies, and standards and testing procedures varied widely throughout the state. Some Bay Area counties did little, if any, monitoring. Others -- namely San Francisco and San Mateo -- did monitor their beaches, many of which were heavily used and subject to contamination by sewage.

Sewage is frequently the cause of contaminated beachwater. The problem is made worse in cities -- like San Francisco -- that have combined sewer systems, in which both rainwater and sewage flow through the same pipes. When rainfall is heavy, the pipes can overflow, and untreated sewage winds up in local waterways. Sewage overflows also cause many beach advisories in San Mateo. Given the prevalence of sewage problems, it's not surprising that increased monitoring has led to more closings and advisories. Better monitoring is finally beginning to reveal the true dimension of our region's beachwater pollution problem... more