WQB Biologists conduct environmental monitoring from the Research Vessel Shana Rae.

The City and County of San Francisco conducts an ocean monitoring program that has two main components: bacteria monitoring in shoreline waters to provide public health information and determine impacts from shoreline discharges; and offshore monitoring designed to evaluate impacts of treated wastewater on marine sediments and fauna. The monitoring program is a regulatory requirement mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board as a consequence of operating the southwest ocean outfall (SWOO) for the discharge of treated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean offshore of San Francisco.

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The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) and the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) jointly administer the beach water quality monitoring program in San Francisco. Both agencies participate in sample collection; the SFPUC Microbiology Laboratory performs bacteriological analyses. The SFPUC is responsible for public notification when water quality does not meet State standards for water contact recreation, while the SFDPH is responsible for ensuring compliance with the California Sanitation, Healthfulness and Safety of Ocean Water-Contact Sports Areas Regulations, Title 17, California Code of Regulations.     Read more 

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In lieu of preparing an annual report for the 2004 offshore and beach water quality monitoring data, they are included in this comprehensive 1997-2004 Summary Report of the Southwest Ocean Outfall Regional Monitoring Program. Shoreline bacteria data collected over the eight-year period and relationships to the City’s combined sewer system and rainfall were explored. Overall, San Francisco beaches were available for water contact recreation 95% or more of the time during the eight years.     Read more 

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