The City of San Mateo Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) operates under a municipal wastewater discharge permit (called an NPDES permit) that limits how much mercury and other pollutants can be discharged to San Francisco Bay.
Beneficial uses of San Francisco Bay are impaired due to high levels of mercury in fish, water, and sediment. Monitoring data indicate that mercury levels in our WWTP effluent have the potential to exceed our discharge limit.
No other monitored pollutant has displayed this potential compliance problem.