Mill Valley Sewege

Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin processes all of the wastewater of Mill Valley homes and businesses. It is located directly across from Mill Valley Middle School and next to Bayfront Park and bike path. The wastewater flows down the drain into the sewage pipes and into the SASM treatment facility.
       There "the wastewater undergoes physical, biological and chemical treatment until it is 95% rid of solid and organic waste and 100% free of pathogenic bacteria. The final leg of the effluent's journey is conveyed via six miles of pipeline straight to Elephant Rock at Point Tiburon, one of the southernmost points of Tiburon. At that point, a right turn in the pipe sends the water 900 feet out to Raccoon Strait, between Tiburon and Angel Island, where it is discharged into the San Francisco                                                                    Bay."   - SASM 
A small percentage of the processed water is reclaimed and undergoes further treatment. It is then used to irrigate parks in the local area. The solid waste is sent to landfill.

 An important note for all Mill Valley residents. Do not use pesticides or chemical fertilizers. The rain water that goes down the drain does not get processed at SASM, it goes directly into Richardson Bay. Therefore, any pesticides or fertilizers that are used on your property enter into our bay waters.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Diaster Prepardness

Image
With the extremely poor air quality last week, being prepared for the next natural hazard seems obvious. The city of Mill Valley where I live is engaging in creating a resilient community. Mill Valley fire department is helping neighborhoods become FireWise by educating individual home owners and the collective neighborhood on ways to reduce the risk of fire. FireWise is a fire risk reduction program from the National Fire Protection Association. The fire department chief has visited each neighborhood to hold meetings on this topic. Once a neighborhood has implemented the recommendations that include removing certain brush and debris, cutting back on trees, and eliminating all flammable chemicals, it is certified as FireWise by the fire department. With each additional neighborhood contributing to the FireWise program, the overall Mill Valley community becomes safer and more resilient. As a registered nurse, I am a volunteer for the Disaster Healthcare Volunteers. In the case of a
Read more

Air pollution

Image
Here’s a super brief introduction to air pollution. Simply put, air pollution are chemicals that we inhale that cause negative health effects. Some air pollutants are naturally sourced chemicals like those created from fires, while others result from man-made industrial sites or vehicles. Examples of air pollutants include volatile organic compounds (VOCs,) carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides NO x , sulfur dioxide SO 2 , particulate matter (PM), and lead (Pb). Unfortunately, these chemicals can create secondary chemicals in the atmosphere resulting in nitric or sulfuric acid rain. Air quality is regulated by government in hopes of keeping us safe. The Clean Air Act set restrictions on the amounts of VOCs, CO, NO x , SO 2 , PM, and Pb that was allowed to be released into the atmosphere. I live in Marin county, the land of environmentally conscious people and the land without any industry produced air pollutants. For a county that prides itself in healthy living, the air q
Read more

Environmental Health Home Assessment

Image
It is easy to passively live in our homes without consideration of potential environmental toxins. After completing this assessment, I am grateful that I do not have a high risk of environmental exposures in my home. While I do have emergency disaster supplies, this list is a reminder that I need to update those supplies.  After listening to the TED talk from Arlene Blum about flame retardants, I am devoted to checking all of furniture and bedding for toxic chemicals. In addition, I will be going through all of my children's toys to check for toxic plastic chemicals.  Comment on other blogs: Monica: It is crazy to stop and think about the possible toxic products in your home. Candles seem so harmless, and so do fragrances. I agree. Franny: I agree that this exercise makes you stop and think about what things in our homes can possible make us sick. 
Read more