Cal. Code Regs. tit. 23 § 3919.13
On November 14, 2012, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (Water Board) adopted Resolution No. R2-2012-0089, amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay Region. The State Water Resources Control Board approved the amendment under Resolution No. 2013-0007 on March 19, 2013. This amendment establishes total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for bacteria in San Pedro Creek (Creek) and at Pacifica State Beach (Beach), and incorporates new implementation provisions in the Basin Plan to allow a "reference system and antidegradation approach" for the bacteria water quality objectives. The intent of implementing bacteria water quality objectives using a "reference system and antidegradation approach" is to a) avoid requiring treatment of natural sources of bacteria from undeveloped areas, and b) ensure that bacteriological water quality is at least as good as that of a reference site and that no degradation of existing bacteriological water quality is permitted where existing bacteriological water quality is better than that of a reference site.
The objective of this amendment is to reduce levels of bacteria in San Pedro Creek and at Pacifica State Beach to protect water quality for water contact recreation (REC-1). The TMDL requires reductions in the number of days during the year that levels of bacteria exceed water quality objectives. It allocates discharges of bacteria to municipal stormwater runoff and dry weather flows, stormwater runoff from highways, horse facilities, and sanitary sewer systems, accounting for natural background sources in the watershed.
Required control measures for the existing or new horse facilities will be implemented through the requirements of the Water Board's General Waste Discharge Requirements for Confined Animal Facilities. Required control measures for the sanitary sewer systems will be implemented through the requirements and provisions of the State Water Boards General Waste Discharges Requirements Order for sanitary sewer systems as well as Cease and Desist Order No. R2-2011-0031 issued by the Water Board to Pacifica. Required control measures for municipal stormwater runoff and dry weather flows will be implemented through the Municipal Regional Stormwater NPDES Permit, or a new stormwater NPDES permit. Required control measures for stormwater discharges from Caltrans's storm sewer systems will be implemented thorough Caltrans' existing stormwater NPDES permit requirements.
Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 23, § 3919.13