The Bay Area Clean Water Agencies (BACWA) is a group of local governmental agencies that are leaders in wastewater management and public stewardship of San Francisco Bay water quality. BACWA members own and operate collection systems and publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) that discharge to San Francisco Bay. Together, BACWA's members serve over 5 million people in the nine county Bay Area, collecting and treating all domestic, commercial, and industrial wastewater. BACWA was formed to develop and use sound technical, scientific, environmental, and economic information to educate members, work toward reasonable public policy, and provide long-term stewardship of San Francisco Bay. More information about BACWA is available at www.bacwa.org.
Member agencies of BACWA are public entities that dedicate selected employees to participate in specific working committees in order to further the knowledge and understanding of the water quality issues associated with the San Francisco Bay estuary.
BACWA’s Collection Systems Committee serves as the focal point for dealing with regulatory issues and actions related to collection systems. The Committee is also a mechanism for sharing collection systems information among agencies and working together to address common requirements. For example, the Committee created a customizable brochure for use by agencies to fulfill Regional Water Board Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) requirements for plumber and contractor outreach, and members have shared staff training and competency testing materials.
The Collection Systems Committee meets once per month. An agenda is circulated via the group’s email list prior to the meeting. Recent topics have included:
Legislation proposed by Bay Area Assemblyman Mark Leno to grade sewer systems;
- New 2-hour sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) reporting requirements;
- Potential State legislation on point-of-sale inspections of private laterals;
- Succession planning (finding staff to fill current and future positions), and staff training;
- Sewer System Management Plan development and SSMP audits;
- Specific educational and training events customized to current collection system needs based on member interests;
- California Integrated Water Quality System (CIWQS);
- California Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network ( CalWARN); and
- Strategizing on potential mandatory minimum penalties to inhibit third-party lawsuits.
The Collection Systems Committee is currently contacting agencies who have not yet joined BACWA (many of your neighboring agencies have already joined). The cost of participating in BACWA and the Collection Systems Committee is $1,500 annually. Funds are used primarily to pay for development of a broad range of regulatory and educational programs, and meeting space.
If your agency is interested in participating in BACWA’s Collection System Committee, please click here to complete a pledge e-mail and send it to Alexandra Gunnell.
Shortly thereafter, invoices will be sent by the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s finance office, on behalf of BACWA, to each participating agency.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call Rich Cunningham, Chair of the BACWA Collection Systems Committee (510-524-9543), or Monica Oakley (510-663-3600).
TO RESPOND, please click here to complete a pledge e-mail and send it to Alexandra Gunnell.