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Item 5.b.
CENTRAL SAN
September 21, 2022
TO: REAL ESTATE, ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANNING COMMITTEE
FROM: LORI SCHECTEL, ENVIRONMENTALAND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
DIVISION MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: ROGER S. BAILEY, GENERAL MANAGER
SUBJECT: RECEIVE UPDATE ON THE MOST RECENT MEETING OF THE BAYAREA
CLEAN WATER AGENCIES (BACWA)
• Last BACWA Board Meeting:
August 19, 2022
• Next BACWA Board Meeting:
October 21, 2022
Regional Monitoring Program Annual Update:
Dr. Melissa Foley of the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFE 1) provided an update on the Regional
Monitoring Project (RMP). The RMP is a 28-year-old project to collect data and communicate information
regarding water quality in San Francisco Bay to support management decisions. There are 68 entities
involved in the program, including dredgers, municipal wastewater, stormwater, and industrial wastewater
entities. There is a steering committee, technical review committee, and numerous specialized
workgroups. Dr. Foley shared the priority project management drivers, program highlights, and other
special studies. The RMP annual meeting will be held on October 3, 2022, in a hybrid format. Each year
they have a multi-year planning workshop; this year, the workshop will be on November 2, 2022. Dr. Foley
noted the Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (P FAS) Phase 2 report will be available soon (Phase 2
sample collection is completed). For the sunscreen study, they just received the data back from Stanford
and are working through it.
Additional upcoming studies include stormwater contaminants of emergency concern (CECs) and tire
particles. The RMP will continue to support the United States Geological Survey (USGS) cruises for
nutrients and the monitoring of the moored sensors.
Air:
Update from Bay Area Water Quality Agencies consultant Sarah Deslauriers included a debrief on the Bay
Area Water Quality Agencies/Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BACWA/BAAQMD)joint
meeting. Air consultants are working to prepare standard permit conditions for cogeneration, digestion,
and how flares are handled for BAAQMD staff to review.
Nutrients:
For the third Nutrient Watershed Permit, there will be a Baywide load cap using an antidegradation
rationale, and individual agencies will have agency-specific load limits. Caps will be based on dry season
September 21, 2022 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 18 of 23
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total inorganic nitrogen (TI N) loads; all agencies will be below the limits in 2024, but nutrient reduction
should be integral to long-term planning. Future caps will be informed by science. Details are yet to be
determined. BACWA will discuss this in more detail with the Regional Water Board on September 9,
2022.
BACWA received an update on the algal bloom in San Francisco Bay from Dr. David Senn of SFEI.
Additional Information/Monthly Bulletins: https:Hbacwa.org/bacwa-bulletins/
Strategic Plan Tie-In
GOAL TWO: Environmental Stewardship
Strategy 1 -Achieve compliance in all regulations, Strategy 3- Be a partner in regional development of local water
supply
September 21, 2022 REEP Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 19 of 23