To then extrapolate this situation to other ‘California cities’ by the authors is even more ridiculous. Clearly, we have media people writing articles that get attention but have no factual basis behind them, because artificial publication deadlines do not allow for any fact-finding (or might it be because these columnists have no understanding whatsoever of technical issues, including infrastructure, engineering, and water demand?)

Really, the ONLY thing that readers should be concerned about is the bleach issue. Is this merely replacing one odor with another? And have the impacts really been fully addressed?

San Francisco’s sewage problems could stem from any number of additional factors, including poorly installed toilets, low-flow mechanisms, archaic pipes and engineering. However, pouring millions of pounds of bleach into the bay’s eco-system is just plain ludicrous! Has the City of San Francisco’s Waste Management considered other more natural means of mitigating the over-populated “output”? Or, is “out of sight/smell, out of mind” just simple-minded and good enough?

If anything, this situation should be a wake up call to recognize that the time-honored practice of flushing needs to be looked at very seriously and from a whole new perspective – It’s another form of human pollution and it has to be dealt with in a more sustainable manner.

Go Green…barf.

This is explained on the Building Standards Commission webpage – the penalties are criminal and civil. http://www.bsc.ca.gov/cd_qustns/cq_faqs.htm#q30

Here is an excerpt: “Additionally, these state laws say that a violation of the state regulations (included building standards) is also a misdemeanor punishable by a monetary fine or imprisonment, or both.

One example is the building standards adopted by the State Fire Marshal and the Department of Housing and Community Development to implement the State Housing Law (SHL) in Health and Safety Code, Division 13, Part 1.5, commencing with Section 17910. Section 17995 establishes a misdemeanor crime for violations of the SHL and the provisions of Title 24 implementing the SHL.”

Here is the building standards webpage: http://www.bsc.ca.gov/cd_qustns/cq_faqs.htm

– Katy

Besides playing a part in the justification of their existence and meddling, what financial stake does the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Division of State Architect, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, the California Energy Commission, and the Building Standards Commission have in this process?

As a side note, I once managed the installation of cell phone equipment in lease space throughout the western US. We would mount antenna on the rooftop and a small cabinet somewhere inside. Of the several hundreds managed, the one we installed at Childrens Hospital took the cake for over design and wasted efforts. All because the Office of the State Architect has jurisdiction. I would guess that hospitals in CA cost 50% or more than they otherwise would due to this state agency.