Ten years. That's how much time the Bay Area's 37 wastewater treatment plants will have to reduce fertilizer and sewage in their water by 40%. The estimated price tag for the facility upgrades is $11 billion. The San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board plans to adopt the change as part of its new discharge permit requirement beginning June 12.
In the early 1970s, the federal government distributed funds to build some of the region's first water treatment plants with the passage of the Clean Water Act. Many of those facilities are reaching the end of their usable life right now, Fono said. 'It makes sense to incorporate nutrient removal as part of their rebuilds.' Fono said funds could possibly be raised through grants from the U.S.