Each day up to one billion gallons of partially treated sewage is dumped into Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and its associated waterways.

Municipalities in and upstream of the Delta increasingly use the estuary as a TOILET BOWL for their sewage discharges. With each flush comes increased pollution, including toxic contaminants such as ammonia, heavy metals and even pharmaceuticals. These toxic discharges increasingly degrade water quality and greatly impact the fragile delta ecosystem and food-web as well as threatened and endangered species. As population growth in the Delta region continues to increase, so will wastewater discharges and their impacts on this critical estuary. Consider the following:

• The Sacramento region is by far the largest polluter and each day discharges over 146 million gallons of partially treated sewage. Contained in this wastewater are significant concentrations of ammonia. On a monthly basis, Sacramento adds 125,000 gallons of ammonia to the Delta - far more than any other source. These discharges are believed to have a significant impact on the delta smelt and other threatened and endangered species.
• In addition to Sacramento, another dozen municipalities each day flush an additional 200 million gallons of treated sewage directly into the heart of the Delta. These discharges have grown substantially over the past 30 years as populations have expanded.
• The Stockton wastewater treatment plant has been repeatedly cited for illegal discharges of toxic contaminants. A recent lawsuit filed by environmentalists identifies over 1,500 sewage spills in Stockton over the past 5 years, endangering human health and the environment.
• Another 600 million gallons of treated sewage is discharged each day by some 300 additional communities upstream of the estuary and its habitat.
• A 2008 investigation by the Associated Press revealed the presence of pharmaceuticals in the drinking water of major metropolitan areas. Scientific evidence suggests even small amounts of such substances - including estrogen, antibiotics and heart medications - may adversely affect habitat and fish species. A recent Public Information Act request confirmed that none of the major municipal agencies which discharge directly to the delta are testing for the presence of drugs and other pharmaceuticals in their wastewater.
• Despite the availability of more stringent treatment methods, Sacramento and other wastewater treatment facilities have not yet implemented these technologies.

Sources: Sacramento Bee, Associated Press
*Information related to the Major NPDES dischargers in the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta Watershed was retrieved from the California Integrated Water Quality System Project (CIWQS) Regulated Facilities Report available on the website of the State Water Resources Control Board ( http://ciwqs.waterboards.ca.gov/ciwqs/readOnly/ciwqsReportRegulatedFacilitiesCriteria.jsp) as well as the respective NPDES permits issued to each facility.

Additional Information

• The Great Delta Toilet Bowl

• Sewage spills draw lawsuit
  A conservation group has followed through on its threat to sue the City of Stockton for 1,530 sewer overflows and other violations. The illegal discharges are believed to be a significant cause of declines in the delta environment and impacts to fish. Article in Stockton Record (Sept. 24, 2008)

• Ammonia from Sacramento Linked to Delta Decline
  Sacramento's regional sewage treatment plant is the largest single source of ammonia in the Delta. It releases about 146 million gallons of treated wastewater each day directly into the Sacramento River. The ammonia load in the wastewater has more than doubled since 1985 due to rapid urbanization, and is now more than 125,000 gallons per month. Two recent studies show that ammonia disrupts the food chain in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Article in the Sacramento Bee (June 1, 2008) / Editorial in the Sacramento Bee (June 8, 2008) / Editorial in Stockton Record (June 11, 2008)
  

• Senate Demands Data on Toxic Drugs Released into Delta
  State Senator Dean Florez, D-Shafter, recently issued Public Records Act (PRA) requests to seventeen large municipal water agencies who discharge potentially toxic chemical and pharmaceutical-laden partially treated wastewater in the heart of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The toxic discharges and contamination are under increasing scrutiny by scientists for what is believed to be the significant role they play in harming endangered fish species and environmental habitat. PRA request \ Florez press release \ Feds Not Addressing Drugs in Water (April 30, 2008)

• No Drugs Down the Drain outreach program

• Stockton denies illegal polluting (October 18, 2007) Stockton Record

• Pollution pouring into nation's waters far beyond legal limits (Friday, October 12, 2007) San Francisco Chronicle