Like other wastewater/water organizations, Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (SRCSD) and its contributing agencies are subject to environmental rules designed to protect the waters that sustain our lives and the air we breathe. We take pride in our outstanding record of compliance with these clean water and clean air regulations.

Meeting Clean Water Standards

The treated wastewater (effluent) that our Regional Treatment Plant discharges into the Sacramento River is subject to stringent water quality standards specified in our discharge permit. This permit - part of a program called the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, or NPDES - is issued by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. Permits are usually renewed every five years.

Specific discharge standards are determined by the Regional Board on a case-by-case basis and often differ from one wastewater treatment plant to another. For example, a treatment plant that discharges into the Pacific Ocean will have less stringent standards than SRCSD, which discharges into a river.

NPDES permits specify maximum permissible levels for various technical measurements, including the quantity of effluent discharged in wet and dry weather (flow rates), plus:

• Suspended solid matter
• pH range (acidity)
• Oil and grease
• Temperature
• Residual chlorine
• Coliform bacteria

SRCSD's discharge permit also requires regular monitoring of water quality in the Sacramento River. Separate permits address disposal of the solids removed from wastewater and the quality of stormwater runoff.

For more information on SRCSD's discharge permit, please contact:

Bob Seyfried
(916) 876-6068
seyfriedb@sacsewer.com

Keeping Sacramento's Air Clean

In the Sacramento County area, emissions of smog-producing chemicals are regulated by the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. Other regulatory agencies include the California Air Resources Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These agencies establish limits on smog-related chemicals produced by a variety of combustion sources.

SRCSD's principal combustion sources are:

• Digester gas flares and boilers used in wastewater treatment processes, and
• Diesel-powered generators and pumps that keep critical water and wastewater pumping stations operating during extended power failures, ensuring uninterrupted service to our customers.