Caution with dogs in the water at the beaches for the next few days might be wise,
According to an article in the SF Chronicle on Sunday, Feb 3, there is still high levels of contamination in Marin's Richardson Bay, but that SF beaches appear to be unaffected: (http://tinyurl.com/34rlz2)
From the SF Chronicle (sfgate.com)
Swimmers warned at beaches after spill of 2.7 million gallons of Marin County sewage
Feb 1
About 2.7 million gallons of both raw and treated sewage overflowed from a Marin County treatment facility into San Francisco Bay after an alert system failed to properly notify workers at the facility, officials said today.
Signs have been posted along the Tiburon shoreline and at many popular San Francisco beaches - including Crissy Field, Baker Beach, Aquatic Park and China Beach - to discourage people from swimming in the water. However, San Francisco officials said they do not belive the spill will pose a danger to swimmers. Commercial fishing is also not expected to be affected.
Nearby cities and counties were notified of the spill starting late this morning and into the afternoon. Notifications weren't sent to the media until just before 1 p.m. - nearly 20 hours after the spill occurred Thursday evening.
...
However, Winnicker said city officials do not believe there is any threat to San Francisco beach users. He noted officials routinely post similar signs during winter months when heavy rains can lead to dangerous, bacteria-laden runoff.
"It's purely a precautionary measure ... but we feel we can't be too zealous when it comes to public health at beaches," he said.
Winnicker said the PUC would likely leave the signs up through the weekend as a precautionary measure and will look at water samples on Monday to make further decisions.
...
Water quality officials acknowledge that the environmental impacts of the spill are unknown, but said that they are much less worried than they would have been if the sewage hadn't been treated at all. Tests are being done now and results could be available as early as Saturday morning, officials said.
"It's partially treated, which is not nearly as damaging," said Lila Tang, manager of the wastewater permits unit for the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Board.
The amount of sewage spilled would cover a football field - including the end zones - in sewage 6.3 feet deep.
"It probably diluted down immediately with the tidal action in the area," added Stephen Danehy, general manager of the Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin. "It's probably negligible, barely noticeable."
For the complete story, go to:
http://tinyurl.com/2rz4k4
