Bay Area Clean Water Agencies

Bay Area Clean Water Agencies (BACWA) is an organization of local government agencies that manage water treatment for water discharged in San Francisco Bay.

Disposal of Sewage Sludge
A 2009 document from BACWA estimated that the entire Bay Area produced 158,000 dry metric tons of sewage sludge annually, a number that would swell to 189,000 dry metric tons by 2010. This document breaks down the disposal of the Bay Area's 2007 sewage sludge as follows:
 * 52% is used as Alternate Daily Cover in landfills
 * 19% is applied to land as fertilizer
 * 14% is incinerated
 * 10% is disposed of in landfills
 * 1% goes to "dedicated land disposal"
 * 1% goes to long term storage
 * 4% is disposed of via other means

Broken out by destination county, Bay Area 2007 sludge disposal is as follows:
 * 35% Santa Clara
 * 20% Solano
 * 12% Alameda
 * 8% Sonoma
 * 7% Sacramento
 * 7% Contra Costa
 * 7% Merced
 * 3% Marin
 * 1% San Joaquin
 * <1% San Mateo

The document notes that a survey of landfills within 200 miles finds insufficient capacity to dispose of all of the Bay Area's sludge as "Alternate Daily Cover." Also, as of the document's publication in 2009, 21 of California's 58 counties restrict land application of Class B Biosolids. The document identifies as a strategy mounting PR efforts to convince the public of the safety of sewage sludge:

"Overarching each of the challenges just listed are the public's perceptions about biosolids. These perceptions impact to some degree all of the biosolids management options the Bay Area currently relies upon. Increasing the public's awareness of and knowledge about biosolids management issues in the Bay Area is one of the most important tasks confronting biosolids management. Without informed public discussion, the region is unlikely to implement optimal management policies. Policies aimed at placating negative public perceptions about biosolids are a more likely outcome."

The document cites the "California Integrated Waste Management Act" (AB 939) of 1989, a bill passed by the state government requiring that 50% of sewage sludge is diverted from landfills by the year 2000. Of the possible options for sludge disposal outside of landfills, it claims that "Class B land application was the most environmentally sound option for biosolids management." In other words, applying sewage sludge to land where crops designated for animal feed are grown as fertilizer is their preferred method of disposing of sludge. Another option they cite is producing commercial fertilizer and compost products using sewage sludge:

"Other options for sustainable reuse of biosolids involve transforming biosolids into one or more marketable commodities. Examples include bulk and packaged compost, pelletized fertilizer, and inputs into the production of cement, bricks and glass. Bay Area wastewater agencies already convert some biosolids into Class A compost and several agencies are upgrading their treatment facilities to increase production of Class A biosolids."

The document goes on to mention how the state of California could assist them in disposing of sludge using their preferred methods. They recommend the following:


 * Creation of private sector grants and tax credits "for the creation of new technologies supporting alternative applications of biosolids"
 * Financial incentives provided to the composting industry for increasing use of sewage sludge in compost products. Such incentives include low interest loans and tax credits. They also recommend increasing tipping fees at landfills and earmarking the money raised for the expansion of composting.
 * Eliminating barriers and creating incentives for wastewater facilities to "invest in B2E technologies." This refers to the use of sewage sludge for energy.

The use of sludge to create energy is a popular idea in the Bay Area, as it is the subject of the Bay Area Biosolids to Energy Project

BACWA Board and Members
Executive Director: Amy J. Chastain

The Executive Board as of July 2010:
 * Chair: David R. Williams, East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)
 * Jim Kelly, Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (CCCSD)
 * Tommy Moala, City & County of San Francisco (CCSF)
 * Dave Tucker, City of San Jose (CSJ)
 * Mike Connor, East Bay Dischargers Authority (EBDA)

The five organizations with membership on the board constitute BACWA's "principle members." Associate members are as follows:
 * Jason Dow, Central Marin Sanitation Agency (CMSA)
 * Darren Greenwood, City of Livermore
 * Phil Bobel, City of Palo Alto
 * Kacey Karmendy, City of San Mateo
 * Tom Hall, City of Sunnyvale
 * Gary Darling, Delta Diablo Sanitation District (DDSD)
 * Dan Gallagher, Dublin-San Ramon Services District (DSRSD)
 * Kathy Hopkins, Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District (FSSD)
 * Michael Abramson, Napa Sanitation District
 * Vicki Fry, Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (SRCSD)
 * Daniel P. Child, South Bayside System Authority (SBSA)
 * David Castagnola, South San Francisco/San Bruno WQCP
 * Ron Matheson, Vallejo Sanitation & Flood Control District (VS&FCD)
 * E.J. Shalaby, West County Agency (WCA)

Additionally, Affiliate Members are as follows:
 * Peter Lee, City of American Canyon
 * Bozahena Palatnik, City of Belmont
 * Vicki Shidell, City of Benicia
 * Daniel Akagi, City of Berkeley
 * Matthew Fabry, City of Brisbane Public Works
 * William E. Toci, City of Burlingame WWTP
 * James Pritchard, City of Fairfield
 * Joe Magner, City of Millbrae
 * Kathleen Phalen, City of Milpitas
 * Mike Ban, City of Petaluma
 * Larry Rosenberg, City of Piedmont
 * Daniel Smith, City of Pleasanton
 * Marilyn W. Harang, City of Redwood City
 * Rick Fuller, City of Richmond WPCP
 * John Ferons, City of St. Helena
 * Parviz Mokhtari, City of San Carlos
 * Mark Williams, Las Gallinas Valley Sanitation District (LGVSD)
 * David Contreras, Mt. View Sanitary District (MVSD)
 * Patrick Sweetland, North San Mateo Sanitation District (NSMSD)
 * Beverly James, Novato Sanitary District
 * Rich Ariza, Pinole/Hercules WPCP
 * Mark Costanzo, San Francisco International Airport (SFIA)
 * Ann Stillman, San Mateo County Department of Public Works
 * Brett Richards, Sanitary District of Marin County No. 1 (Ross Valley)
 * Barry Hogue, Sanitary District of Marin County No. 2 (Corte Madera)
 * Robert Lynch, Sanitary District of Marin County No. 5 (Tiburon)
 * Sid Nash, Santa Clara County Sanitation District No. 2-3
 * Bob Simmons, Sausalito/Marin City Sanitary District (SMCSD)
 * Steve Danehy, Sewage Agency of Southern Marin (SASM)
 * John F. Foley III, Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM)
 * Don Seymour, Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA)
 * Douglas Humphrey, Stege Sanitary District (SSD)
 * Phil Gorny, Tamalpais Community Services District (TCSD)
 * Don Moore, Town of Yountville
 * Tim Clayton, West Bay Sanitary District
 * Robert Reid, West Valley Sanitation District (WVSD)

Contact Information

 * Bay Area Clean Water Agencies
 * PO Box 24055, MS702
 * Oakland, CA 94623
 * Phone: (415) 308-5172
 * Web: http://www.bacwa.org

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Biosolids
 * Sewage sludge
 * Food Rights Network