Redwood City Starts Preemptive Strike on Leaks

The South Bayside System Authority is updating a Peninsula-wide sewage system in Redwood City, aiming to reduce maintenance costs, improve overall pipeline reliability and prevent any sewage leaks that could potentially expose people to viruses and funguses.

“It was nothing that has been environmentally dangerous, but there have been leaks and it was time to replace the system,” said Duane Sandul, SBSA communications consultant. “They’ve served well for 35-40 years.” 

The plant was built in 1971 and hasn’t received updates since its inception. For the most part, residents nearby have had few problems with the pipeline, said James Jonas, a member of the Redwood Creek Association who lives in the Docktown neighborhood.

And even if there was a problem related to sewage leaks, there would be no way to tell its point of origin.

“In Docktown it’s hard to tell,” Jonas said. “The reason why is that we are the end of everything that comes down the stream from Redwood City.”

“Every once and a while, we get strange smells,” he said. “The problem with strange smells is that we really don’t know where it’s coming from. So, we hear these complaints, we try and identify a source of the smell, and we really don’t know.”

What is known is that the city is spending $45.5 million to prevent the possibility of leakage.

The renovations are a part of an overall $400 million, 10-year Capital Improvement Program, an effort to upgrade aging infrastructure. It will also make sure a sewage system that serves approximately 220,000 households and 10,000 businesses is environmentally safe, Sandul said.

“The SPSA is owned by Redwood City, Belmont, San Carlos and what is called the West Bay Sanitary District, which includes Menlo Park, Atherton and portions of Portola Valley and Woodside,” Sandul said. “So all of the homes and businesses in that area use this system.”

The new pipe is made of polyethylene sanitary pipeline, which is designed to allow  the pipes to move without leaking. The original reinforced concrete pipe was designed using joints that provide limited movement. Because of the old design, this 2.5-mile stretch of pipeline — about a quarter of its full-length — has been involved in 75 percent of the leaks that have occurred since the sewer system was built, Sandul said.

Any physical exposure to sewage during leaks can cause a number of different health effects. Surfaced sewage can contain bacteria, parasites and viruses that can infect intestines, lungs and cause nausea, according to The Center to Protect Workers’ Rights.

The work on this pipeline is happening at the same time as multiple projects nearby which may impact the quality of life for people traveling through the area.

The city began construction on Maple Street on Thursday, which is expected last 7-10 workdays. As a result there will be one-way traffic from Docktown to the south end of Maple Street. Jonas said there haven’t been any noticeable traffic disturbances yet.

The city will also be constructing on Bair Island, where there is expected to be some noise pollution while the pipe is being constructed. Workers will then begin microtunneling, a method in which the city will be able to lay pipe underground in one pass, from the beginning of August to the end of October, and noise is expected then as well. 

“It may be heard on Bair Island through some portions of the day, but it’s not a consistent loud noise that you would hear for 8-10 hours a day,” Sandul said. 

Residents have differing opinions concerning noise.

“When I was analyzing the project, one thing I did notice was that there might be some extensive noise during the night,” Jonas said. “I did send them a notice saying I have some concerns about that.”

Nonetheless, as a whole, Jonas said he is in support of the project. Overall, it can benefit all of Redwood City.

“I am very happy that they have decided to improve the piping. We have been alerted about this early, I am personally supportive of this, I think it’s a great infrastructure piece for us,” Jonas said. “We’re talking about upgrading a very old pipe system with modern piping that can last a long, long time. It feels like Redwood City decided to upgrade its systems ahead of everybody else.”