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Group Threatens Lawsuit Over San Diego Sewage

A local environmental group may sue the city of San Diego over sewage treatment. City officials say it will cost more than $1 billion to upgrade its treatment system. KPBS reporter Ed Joyce has detail

Group Threatens Lawsuit Over San Diego Sewage

A local environmental group may sue the city of San Diego over sewage treatment. City officials say it will cost more than $1 billion to upgrade its treatment system. KPBS reporter Ed Joyce has details.

San Diego may apply for another five-year federal waiver that lets it bypass a law requiring secondary treatment of sewage. The Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant processes sewage at the advanced primary level before pumping it offshore into the Pacific Ocean.

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Secondary and tertiary treatments remove more solids and other pollutants from wastewater than the system the city uses.

Bruce Reznik of San Diego Coastkeeper says the group will challenge any new waiver request that does not include a plan for secondary treatment.

Reznik : If we don't have an agreement on upgrading starting in 2013 we will challenge this waiver.

San Diego is one of the few remaining cities in the country that hasn't upgraded its sewage treatment system.

Ed Joyce, KPBS News.