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BACKGROUND In 1999, under a Presidential directive, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) began work on federal standards to regulate sewage collection systems. The U.S. EPA released proposed regulations under the Capacity, Management, Operation, and Maintenance (CMOM) Program in 2001. Since then, the U.S. EPA has not been able to finalize the CMOM Program and promulgate its rules. In 2004, the SWRCB passed a resolution committing to the development of a regulation which would reduce the number and volume of Sewer System Overflows (SSOs) by requiring the proper operation and maintenance of all sewage collection systems. In May 2006, the SWRCB adopted a Statewide Sanitary Sewer Order to address the issue of SSOs in a consistent and uniform matter statewide. California became the first state in the nation to implement a program focused on the regulation of sewage collection systems. The Statewide Sanitary Sewer Order requires enrolled agencies to develop and implement a Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP), which documents the actions an enrollee is taking to properly operate and maintain its sewer system with the goal of reducing SSOs. A SSMP must contain elements such as an operation and maintenance program, system evaluation and capacity assurance plan, and Fats. Oils, and Grease (FOG1 Control Program. The Statewide order also requires enrollees to report any SSOs which occur in their sewer system. Through this provision of the order, the efficacy of the enrollee's SSMP is monitored. All agencies are required to report all SSOs from their sewer system (private lateral discharges are reported on a voluntary basis by the agency). Finally, an agency must submit a "no spill certification" if their sewer system does not experience any SSOs for a given calendar month. All information submitted in accordance with the Statewide Order for monitoring and reporting is done electronically through the State's SSO database module online. DISCUSSION In addition to the regulatory reasons for this ordinance, there are many practical reasons for adoption. Fats, oils, and grease are a major reason for SSOs from a sewer system, including the rare SSOs that occur in Pleasanton, and is a factor in 80% of the SSOs that occur in our system. A discharge of untreated sewage usually contains high levels of suspended solids, pathogenic organisms, potentially toxic pollutants, nutrients, oil, and grease. SSOs pollute surface and ground waters, threaten public health, adversely affect aquatic life and impair the recreational use of surface waters. Typical consequences of SSOs are closure of recreational areas, inundated properties and polluted canals and streams. Since January 2007, there have been 6,257 reported SSOs in the State of California discharging 31,684,847 gallons of sewage into the environment. The City of Pleasanton has an excellent record of controlling SSOs as a result of the implementation of a very proactive maintenance program limiting the potential for SSOs from the system. This ordinance will help bring down the costs to maintain our system by preventing FOG from entering our system in the first place. Page 2 of 3