American Rivers' President, Rebecca Wodder, sent this letter to the editor of the San Francisco Chronicle regarding the major sewage spills in the Bay that appeared in today's paper.

Editor - Regarding "State EPA chief seeks probe of two sewage spills in Marin" (Jan. 7): The Richardson Bay sewage spill is just a drop in the bucket. Billions of gallons of raw and partially treated sewage pour into California's waters every year.

Keep in mind it takes only about 200,000 gallons to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Our water infrastructure is broken and unless proactive steps are taken, things will get worse.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, California needs $20 billion to address the problems. President Bush has offered up only $555 million for such projects - for the entire country.

As it appeared in yesterday's Baltimore Sun:

Sometimes good news still stinks ("Md. sewage spills have ebbed with drought," Jan. 2).

One case in point: When the Maryland Department of the Environment reports that only 24 million gallons of untreated sewage spilled into our rivers and streams between January and September of last year, that was a lot better than the 352 million gallons that spilled in 2003, but still enough sewage to fill 40 Olympic-size swimming pools.

Let's face it, the task of public relations for a sewer operator can't be the easiest job in the world. The job they do to keep "stuff" out of our waters is largely unappreciated and they end up putting said "stuff" in the water, either by design or by accident we are appalled and grossed out. I get the feeling that Kevin Cowan, Sewer Manager for the North Davis Sewer District in Utah, understands the juxtaposition his job puts him in.

When Cowan gives visitors tours of the facility he hands them a bottle of water that looks perfectly clear... Then you read the ingredients. "Water, fecal matter, toilet paper, hair, lint, rancid grease, stomach acid and trace amounts of Pepto Bismol, chocolate, urine, body oils, dead skin, industrial chemicals."

The specially labeled bottle of waters are being to reach out to the public to raise awareness about water quality, the important role sanitation systems play in our society and to remind us that everything we dump down the drain may end up in our precious natural water resources.

Now for the Spills of the Week: