500,000 Gallons Of Sewage Spills Into San Francisco Bay

"A broken pipe gushed at least 500,000 gallons of partially treated sewage into San Francisco bay by Wednesday afternoon as Sausalito, California sanitary plant officials continued to try to contain the spill more than 24 hours after it was spotted.

Bob Simmons, general manager of the Sausalito-Marin city sanitary district, said shortly after 2pm that the spill was 99% contained.

Workers in wetsuits were trying to seal up a metal ''saddle'' placed around the 24-inch-wide pressure pipeline resting along the shore below the Fort Baker treatment plant to redirect wastewater back into the plant.

The spill was first spotted at about 1pm on Tuesday at the district's treatment plant in the Golden Gate national recreational area.

After several hours of unsuccessful attempts to plug the 2-inch hole before the pipe was submerged in tide water, the leak was allowed to continue until work could continue on Wednesday morning."

ORIGINAL SOURCE: the Guardian