Facts

The San Francisco Baykeeper filed suit in federal court against the cities of Healdsburg and San Carlos.

PLAINTIFF'S CONTENTIONS:
The City of Healdsburg accumulated partially treated sewage in what used to be a gravel pit. As a result, the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board documented over 120 violations of the City's state water discharge permit. 44 of the violations were considered serious while the others were considered to be chronic issues. Further, the violations came along with "mandatory minimum penalties" according to the permit requirements. The violations were caused by spills consisting of three to six gallons and high levels of chlorine. The City of San Carlos permitted untreated sewage to overflow into the San Francisco Bay.

Result

The city of Healdsburg agreed to pay $369,000 for the violations. The settlement required Healdsburg to pay $177,000 to the state Water Pollution Cleanup and Abatement Project and $192,000 for a supplemental environmental project. Additionally, the city of San Carlos will pay $350,000.