Employee relieves himself in San Francisco reservoir...say what!?!

CNN

File under WTF!!??!!

Last month, employees with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission witnessed Martin Sanchez, a $111,000-a-year maintenance planner with the utility, urinate in the Priest Reservoir, said Tyrone Jue, a spokesman for the utilities commission.

The Priest Reservoir is a 674 million-gallon basin, located about 150 miles east of San Francisco, that provides water for 2.6 million people in the San Francisco Bay Area. The water in the reservoir is untreated and disinfected with chlorine and ultraviolet light before it reaches customers.

There was no water in the reservoir at the time of Martin's bathroom break -- it had been drained for maintenance, Jue said -- but that made no difference.

"There is no public health risk to be concerned about because the reservoir was not in use and the fact any water would have been treated anyway," said Jue. "Still, his actions are completely unacceptable."

Sanchez is facing disciplinary action from the utility, which could include several days of suspension without pay.

THATS IT?? Several days without PAY! Fire his ASS!! WTH!

Its not only a problem in San Francisco..Hello Portland!

San Francisco isn't the only city that's had to deal with this. Last April, Portland, Oregon, was forced to dump 38 million gallons of water from a reservoir after a teen urinated in it. A security camera captured the 19-year-old, with the help of two friends, climbing a fence surrounding the reservoir and, ahem, taking care of business.

The city decided to get rid of the water in the reservoir because it was slated to go directly to homes and there was no way to treat it. The teen and his two accomplices were cited by police.

This is the problem with any municipal utilities. One persons ignorance can cause mass amount of trouble.

I can see where folks are gonna get upset, but really, what's the big deal? 1 person pees in the water, they freak out, but what about all the urine and feces from wild animals that get washed in? The water is treated before it gets to anyone and I'd be more concerned about what they're putting in the water during treatment than a guy peeing in it.

Surely you don't think the water goes right from there to the tap. We have electric boats on our reservoir. The reservoir is a collection basin for rain. It goes to a treatment facility before it goes to our homes. There are fish living in the reservoir. Do you think they go to the corner gas station when they gotta go?
This is just another one of those non stories that someone wanted to get enraged about.
In some counties the reservoir is also open for swimming.
Oh I might also point out that although you may not want to do it urine is sterile and drinkable. If you're ever stranded in a,dessert it's a good thing to know.

originally posted by: DAVID64
I can see where folks are gonna get upset, but really, what's the big deal? 1 person pees in the water, they freak out, but what about all the urine and feces from wild animals that get washed in? The water is treated before it gets to anyone and I'd be more concerned about what they're putting in the water during treatment than a guy peeing in it.

Correct.
That fellow's pee is one of the least worrisome things in the water.
Not only do fish excrete their waste in the reservoir, they die in there. I know tree huggers like to think that there is a fish funeral home down there, but they lie there and rot, right there in the future drinking water.
Most people wouldn't drink a glass of water that had a dragonfly nymph in it, but that reservoir probably had literally a ton of nymphs and larvae in it.
I think that the guy should be fired because he didn't have any better sense than that, to urinate in the reservoir in front of witnesses.... and he earns $110,000 a year?

That statement about the water going to right to their homes is an outright lie. At least if it's in a developed country. Even well water is filtered these days.




a reply to: DjembeJedi

originally posted by: DAVID64
I can see where folks are gonna get upset, but really, what's the big deal? 1 person pees in the water, they freak out, but what about all the urine and feces from wild animals that get washed in? The water is treated before it gets to anyone and I'd be more concerned about what they're putting in the water during treatment than a guy peeing in it.

Its not the FEAR of the pee itself its the money wasted.. I guess I have a issue with laziness..If you gotta piss just do it in an acceptable area. Not really that much to ask ESPECIALLY from a City employee responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the water supply.

I better be put in jail then.

I grew up fishing in the Niagara river, spent many, many long days drifting down the river. I have lost count of the number of times I relieved myself in the river. It is the primary water source for MANY municipalities.

In fact, I would love to know how many other people pissed in MY water as it made its way down from the upper lakes.

It all gets treated, it is the same water we have had since the beginning of time. I guarantee that most any water drank has been in somebodies bladder before.

It is a non issue when you really think about it, unless there is an issue with your treatment facility.

BTW!! I NEVER once claimed to be afraid of the piss not being filtered out in the treatment facilities! I am just annoyed by the money and time wasted on crap like this.

a reply to: DjembeJedi

Guten Morgen- I'm still trying to get over the fact that He makes $111k/yr. working at the Water Dep't...

Those 1% ers think they can do whatever they want hahaha Metaphorically typing it is " 'The Man' peeing on the Serfs" ....again.

originally posted by: butcherguy

originally posted by: DAVID64
I can see where folks are gonna get upset, but really, what's the big deal? 1 person pees in the water, they freak out, but what about all the urine and feces from wild animals that get washed in? The water is treated before it gets to anyone and I'd be more concerned about what they're putting in the water during treatment than a guy peeing in it.

Correct.
That fellow's pee is one of the least worrisome things in the water.
Not only do fish excrete their waste in the reservoir, they die in there. I know tree huggers like to think that there is a fish funeral home down there, but they lie there and rot, right there in the future drinking water.
Most people wouldn't drink a glass of water that had a dragonfly nymph in it, but that reservoir probably had literally a ton of nymphs and larvae in it.
I think that the guy should be fired because he didn't have any better sense than that, to urinate in the reservoir in front of witnesses.... and he earns $110,000 a year?

My sentiments exactly.

We all carry "pee" around in us all the time.

Further:

Yah be upset about a little piss. Convenient timing with this. A distraction from recent news?

article

What money wasted? The water is going to a treatment plant. That's money that was going to be spent anyway.
The elephant in the room is the city maintenance worker who gets paid $110,000.00 per year.


. reply to: DjembeJedi

Urine was probably the cleanest thing in the water.

a reply to: DAVID64

Yeah... I wonder how they keep all of the animal waste out of there. I can see the problem with the guy urinating right into the cleaned water in Portland, that sucks.

The only thing i see wrong with it is that it's unprofessional and for the salary he gets he should have thought twice.
But, as everyone is saying how do they keep rats and stuff from drowning in there or other animals getting in there? Can't be 100% clean.

originally posted by: DjembeJedi
BTW!! I NEVER once claimed to be afraid of the piss not being filtered out in the treatment facilities! I am just annoyed by the money and time wasted on crap like this.

Then why post this?

Its not only a problem in San Francisco..Hello Portland!



San Francisco isn't the only city that's had to deal with this. Last April, Portland, Oregon, was forced to dump 38 million gallons of water from a reservoir after a teen urinated in it. A security camera captured the 19-year-old, with the help of two friends, climbing a fence surrounding the reservoir and, ahem, taking care of business.

The city decided to get rid of the water in the reservoir because it was slated to go directly to homes and there was no way to treat it. The teen and his two accomplices were cited by police.


This is the problem with any municipal utilities. One persons ignorance can cause mass amount of trouble.

These kids pissing in the water is probably the least harmful thing in it. They were dumbasses to drain the whole thing because some busybody was offended and made an 'issue' out of it by playing peoples irrelevant 'fears'.

If this water source is truly 'straight to the tap' this municipality has much bigger issues than 2 teens peeing in their water.
Think they were the only ones that ever did this?

While I agree $100,000 salary for a municipal worker is outrageous, and should be addressed, the money wasted by draining this water supply because of 2 kids getting caught doing what I KNOW many more do is the bigger outrage.

Especially since as posted above there are far WORSE things that are ALLOWED into our water supply.

There is no common sense anymore.

originally posted by: darkbake
a reply to: DAVID64

I can see the problem with the guy urinating right into the cleaned water in Portland, that sucks.

It is an open air reservoir. It is NOT clean water. If they leave their 'clean' tap ready water in an open air reservoir they have bigger issues than teens pee.

Were the teens stupid? yes. Should they have done it? no. Should the whole reservoir have had to have been drained? Absolutely not!

a reply to: DjembeJedi

Just goes to show you can make six figures and still have no F'ing common sense!

a reply to: DjembeJedi

Urine is sterile. Some people tend to think it is poison.

originally posted by: Aliensun
a reply to: DjembeJedi

Urine is sterile. Some people tend to think it is poison.

I knew a guy that had some urine that wasn't sterile. The doctor checked it.
A shot of penicillen cleared that right up.