Katherine Baer will give her assessment of how yesterday's markup of the Sewage Community Right to Know Act (HR 2452) went later, but in a case of perfect timing, USA Today ran a story today highlighting the problem of our country's aging and failing sewer systems. Here are some of the highlights from the story:

I can't give too many details, but HR 2452, the Sewage Overflow Community Right to Know Act, is going to mark up in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee tomorrow. This was announced late on Friday. Discussions and negotiations about final bill language are being worked out. It's been a tense negotiation. We will give you updates as soon as we have them following tomorrow's mark up.

Good news on the federal Sewage Right to Know Bill (HR 2452/S.2080), which we've covered many times before. The association of sewage agencies (NACWA) recently voted to support the legislation. Previously the group was neutral, and one of their members, Kevin Shafer from Milwaukee gave some good testimony at the House hearing. American Rivers worked long and hard with NACWA to understand their concerns and worked to address some of them - such as clarifying some of the vague terminology in the bill. This is a big deal as getting NACWA's endorsement signals widespread recognition of the need to protect public health and the value in raising awareness about the problems to build support for much needed solutions. As you can see in their letter of support (pdf), NACWA is committed to pursuing a more comprehensive SSO rule as well (the previous rule proposed by EPA was rescinded by the Bush Administration). We'll get sewage right to know one way or the other!

Clcik through to download a copy of NACWA's letter.

Following the recent sewage discharges in Bay Area waters the California legislature is going to necessary and overdue actions to address the problem. The Clean Water Act of 2008 (Assembly Bill 2986) was introduced by Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and coauthored by Assemblyman Jared Huffman (D-San Francisco), and is sponsored by Baykeeper and Friends of the Earth, will require the state to issue every sewage treatment plant in California a report card that shines a light on waste water collection systems that are polluting our waters.

Here's Assemblyman Leno's statement:

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.

SWIM coalition members with Councilman James F. Gennaro (D-Queens), Chairman of the Environmental Protection Committee

Intro 630, which passed this week by the New York City Council, puts the full force of public reporting and target dates into the City's plan for using storm water as an environmental resource to "green" our streets and reduce water pollution. Much of that plan was driven by constituent groups and citizen activists.

Intro 630, once signed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, will push NYC to capture rainwater as it falls with "green infrastructure" solutions, including green roofs, permeable pavement, wetland restoration, and storage systems for buildings that can use the water before it enters the sewer system.

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.

I couldn't agree more with the sentiments of Mary Rawl from Friends of Billy Creek about South Florida's dirty little sewage secret. "It is a disgrace in this day and age when we have the technology to clean and treat sewage that we still dump into our waters.  And Southeast Florida, especially since it is in a severe drought, could be using this sewage as reuse water in an area where 50% of potable water is used for irrigation!"

From the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation 

The sewage versus coral reef controversy continues to rage in south Florida. In a tradition of denial that would make the tobacco industry proud, consultants paid by the south Florida sewer plants, armed with the best junk science money can buy, conduct a misinformation campaign trying to convince the public there is no connection between a half billion gallons a day of sewage pumped onto coral reefs and their decline.

Here is a disturbing and disgusting recount of a continuous two year spill in the state of Washington from Stuart Whitford, a Water Quality Program Manager from the Kitsap County (WA) Health District. Unfortunately this type of spill happens more often than we are aware or are lead to believe.

"A recent sewage spill in Kitsap County (WA) highlights the need for H.R. 2452. At 1:30 p.m. on June 27, 2007, the City of Port Orchard reported a sewage spill to the Health District. They reported that a small spill occurred when a gravity main plugged, forcing sewage out of a manhole onto the surface of the ground. The area was fairly overgrown with vegetation, so it appeared to City wastewater personnel that the spill was limited to the immediate area around the manhole. The plug was removed, and dolomite lime was spread on the ground in the area to soak up any remaining liquid, control odors and inactivate pathogens.