DirtyWaterWatch Public waters. Public record.

California / Waters /

San Francisco Bay

Bay in California, near Alameda, Burlingame, Emeryville, Foster City, San Francisco, San Mateo, San Rafael, South San Francisco and Tiburon

Current status

Discharge possible: heavy rain, no report received

Radar shows that recent rain at a combined sewer system's outlets has reached the amount set for that system, and its operator has not reported a discharge. It reads "discharge likely" where the amount is the one at which that system has discharged before, or a rain trigger its state publishes, and "discharge possible" where only this site's default of 0.1 inch applies. This is an estimate, not a report. This status since . Why this status, and its source

Map sources: water outlines and launches from OpenBoatLaunch and OpenStreetMap contributors (Open Database License); wastewater outlets from EPA and state records; downstream estimates by DirtyWaterWatch using U.S. Geological Survey maps and flow data. Base map: OpenFreeMap and OpenMapTiles.

Solid dots mark combined sewer outfalls. Ringed dots mark treatment plant outfalls. A yellow ring with a dashed edge means discharge likely or possible: heavy rain, no report received. Square boat markers mark boat launches listed by OpenBoatLaunch. Dashed river stretches are estimates.

Check Burlingame, City of, and North Bayside System Unit's notices · Bookmark this water page and check it before each trip · Report a missing notice or error

About this status

Discharge possible: heavy rain, no report received: heavy rain at a sewer operator's outlets reached this site's default amount, and no report received; shown for 48 hours after the rain (site rule). 3.9 in of rain fell in the 24 hours to Nov 6, 2026, 12:00 AM PST at San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's outfalls (NOAA radar estimate).

Source: NOAA National Weather Service, MRMS radar-only rainfall estimate, valid Nov 6, 2026, 12:00 AM PST, retrieved 2026-11-06 08:57 UTC; threshold: site default; rule: How it works, discharge likely or possible. · Updated

Estimated downstream stretches on San Francisco Bay

none from a report; 18 routes below outlets with a status

No stretch below a reported discharge has a current status here as of Nov 6, 2026, 1:03 AM PST. The routes below wastewater outlets carry the status shown on each.

Estimated routes below wastewater outlets

51 routes below outlets
  • No current status shown Permit CA0037427, outlet 001 · 36.068 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0037532, outlet 002 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0037559, outlet EF2C · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0037559, outlet EFWW · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0037613, outlet 001 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0037664, outlet 001 · 33.653 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0037664, outlet 003 · 25.782 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0037664, outlet 009 · 21.463 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0037664, outlet 010 · 22.231 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0037664, outlet 011 · 22.791 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0037664, outlet 013 · 25.428 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0037664, outlet 015 · 25.794 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0037664, outlet 017 · 27.086 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0037664, outlet 018 · 27.802 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0037664, outlet 019 · 28.823 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0037664, outlet 029 · 31.307 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0037664, outlet 030 · 31.911 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0037664, outlet 030A · 32.278 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0037664, outlet 037 · 35.741 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0037664, outlet 038 · 35.964 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0037664, outlet 040 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0037664, outlet 041 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0037664, outlet 042 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0037664, outlet 043 · 32.828 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0037702, outlet EFF1 · 8.84 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0037702, outlet EFFB · 8.84 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0037702, outlet EFFD · 8.84 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0037788, outlet 001 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0037788, outlet 002 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0037834, outlet EFF1 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0037869, outlet 001 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0038008, outlet 001 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0038067, outlet EFF1 · 21.45 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0038067, outlet EFFB · 21.45 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0038318, outlet EFF1 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0038318, outlet EFF2 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0038318, outlet EIND · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0038318, outlet ESAN · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0038369, outlet 001 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0038539, outlet EF01 · 15.816 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0038539, outlet EF02 · 15.816 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0038539, outlet EF03 · 15.816 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0038539, outlet EF1B · 15.816 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0038539, outlet EF2B · 15.816 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit CA0038610, outlet CSO · 32.828 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0038628, outlet 001 · 20.728 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0038636, outlet 2AE · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0038636, outlet 2BE · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0038881, outlet 002B · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0110116, outlet 001 · 8.84 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • No current status shown Permit CA0110116, outlet 002 · 8.84 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here

Source: DirtyWaterWatch estimates using U.S. Geological Survey river maps and flow measurements. The estimate stops at tidal water, the first lake or the distance limit.

The last 90 days

Last 90 days, hour by hour. Red: discharge or advisory reported. Amber: caution. Hatched amber: end not confirmed. Plum: algal bloom advisory. Red or amber with a light line inside: beach advisory or caution. Dotted: monthly report (days with discharge, dates not given). Grey: no current status on the water outline. Purple hatching: a status resting on a source that could not be checked on schedule.
  • Discharge likely or possible: heavy rain, no report received: to the latest update
    Radar estimate, no report received: heavy rain at the outlets of San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)
  • Caution: to
    1 report: City of Oakland Public Works 1
    Show records

    The records are also in the report table on this page.

  • Discharge or advisory reported: to
    1 report: City of Oakland Public Works 1
    Show records

    The records are also in the report table on this page.

Source: DirtyWaterWatch calculations using the reports named above and the published status rules. Updated 2026-11-06 09:03 UTC.

Reported discharges over time

  • Discharges affecting the San Francisco Bay in California, last 12 months11 affecting this water: 1 reported on the San Francisco Bay; none arriving from upstreamDecember 2025 to November 2026Verified reports where available, else notices; revisions and duplicates counted once. Arriving discharges are estimated from modeled downstream reaches.
  • Days with a discharge affecting the San Francisco Bay in California, last 12 months1Reported on the San Francisco Bay in California: 1 · Arriving from outfalls upstream, estimated: 0 (counted apart; together they need not equal the total)December 2025 to November 2026A day counts once however many discharges were under way on it.
  • Hours with a discharge or advisory status on the San Francisco Bay in California, last 12 months6Reported on the San Francisco Bay in California: 6 · Arriving from outfalls upstream, estimated: 0December 2025 to November 2026Red hours by the map's rules: each discharge to its reported end plus the state's post-discharge period; overlapping hours count once.
  • 2026 season with a discharge or advisory status on the San Francisco Bay in California0.1%May to October 2026Share of May 1 to October 31 hours with red status by the map's rules, of the hours a source covered.
  • Records behind the last-90-days strip for the San Francisco Bay in California3Reported on the San Francisco Bay in California: 1 · Arriving from outfalls upstream, estimated: 0 · Other records (rain-likely and similar): 2last 90 daysEvery distinct record the strip lists for its red, yellow and unresolved hours, notices and unresolved reports included; counted as the strip counts them.

Combined sewer overflow (CSO): sewage mixed with rainwater spills from a shared sewer system. Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO): sewage spills from a sewer meant to carry sewage separately from rainwater. Treatment bypass: wastewater skips one or more treatment steps. Blended discharge: wastewater that skipped some treatment is mixed with treated wastewater. Outfall: a pipe or outlet where wastewater enters a water body.

Reported discharges per month

1 reported discharge, January 2022 to November 2026.

  • Combined sewer overflow
  • Sanitary sewer overflow
  • Treatment bypass, blended or other
  • Incomplete source coverage

Source: ca-swrcb-ciwqs-spills-flatfile. Records cover January 1, 2022 to November 6, 2026.

Show table

Hours with a discharge or advisory status per month

Hours when this water had a discharge or advisory status under DirtyWaterWatch rules.

  • Discharge or advisory reported
  • Incomplete source coverage

Source: ca-swrcb-ciwqs-spills-flatfile. Records cover January 1, 2022 to November 6, 2026.

Show table

Days with a reported discharge per month

A day counts when any counted discharge was under way on it, from its start to its reported end in Eastern Time; a report with no end counts its start day.

  • Incomplete source coverage

Source: ca-swrcb-ciwqs-spills-flatfile. Records cover January 1, 2022 to November 6, 2026.

Show table

Reported volume per year

Gallons (axis: K thousand, M million), summed from the 1 report that gave a volume as a number.

  • Incomplete source coverage
Limited records

Source: ca-swrcb-ciwqs-spills-flatfile. Records cover January 1, 2022 to November 6, 2026.

Show table

Hours with a discharge or advisory status per year

Hours with a discharge or advisory status each year under DirtyWaterWatch rules; 2026 to date.

  • Discharge or advisory reported
  • Incomplete source coverage
Limited records

Source: ca-swrcb-ciwqs-spills-flatfile. Records cover January 1, 2022 to November 6, 2026.

Show table

Share of the May to October season with a discharge or advisory status

Share of the hours from May 1 to October 31 with a discharge or advisory status under DirtyWaterWatch rules.

  • Discharge or advisory reported

Source: ca-swrcb-ciwqs-spills-flatfile. Records cover January 1, 2022 to November 6, 2026.

Show table

Reported discharges by calendar month, all years

Every counted discharge report, by the calendar month it began.

Months are summed over every year a tracked source covers; the table gives the number of years behind each month.

Source: ca-swrcb-ciwqs-spills-flatfile. Records cover January 1, 2022 to November 6, 2026.

Show table

Reported discharges by wastewater outlet

Wastewater outlets with the most tracked discharge records: 1 of 1, all years. Counts depend on reporting coverage and do not measure legal compliance or harm.

Source: ca-swrcb-ciwqs-spills-flatfile. Records cover January 1, 2022 to November 6, 2026.

Show table
How these charts are counted

We count each discharge once. Where a source publishes notices and confirmed reports, we use confirmed reports for an operator's month when available; otherwise we use notices. We combine revisions and exclude duplicate state reports copied by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Monthly and yearly totals appear separately. Status hours follow this site's rules. Shaded gaps mean missing coverage, not zero discharges.

  • ca-swrcb-ciwqs-spills-flatfile: records from January 1, 2022 to the latest update
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sewer overflow records: records from May 3, 2022 to the latest update (limited records)

Reports linked to San Francisco Bay

1 sewage report · 7 algal bloom advisories

Cyanobacteria (harmful blue-green algae) can make water unfit for contact; the issuing authority decides when its advisory ends.

Reports linked to San Francisco Bay, newest first
WhenReportStatus
to 1:35 PM PDTCity of Oakland Public Works · 14th St. & Castro St. · SSO · 2,010 gallons report · notice · mapended
California State Water Resources Control Board (FHAB program) · Chrissy Field Marsh by SF Bay trail (203CHR100) · Algae advisory · volume not reported report · notice · maplisted
California State Water Resources Control Board (FHAB program) · Palace of fine arts, crissy field, E beach · Algae advisory · volume not reported report · notice · maplisted
California State Water Resources Control Board (FHAB program) · Southwest shorline of Berkeley Aquatic Park · Algae advisory · volume not reported report · notice · maplisted
to Oct 28 ’22California State Water Resources Control Board (FHAB program) · Crown Beach · Algae advisory · volume not reported report · notice · maplifted
to Oct 14 ’22California State Water Resources Control Board (FHAB program) · South San Francisco Bay Dumbarton Bridge · Algae advisory · volume not reported report · notice · maplifted
California State Water Resources Control Board (FHAB program) · Point Richmond Pier · Algae advisory · volume not reported report · notice · maplisted
California State Water Resources Control Board (FHAB program) · Coyote Point Marina · Algae advisory · volume not reported report · notice · maplisted

Sources: State Water Board CIWQS Sanitary Sewer System spill data: Cat1-2-3-Spills.txt (nightly flat file), retrieved 2026-11-05 15:08 UTC; Surface Water - Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms, retrieved 2026-11-06 03:07 UTC. A report's record id and times show when you hover or focus its "report" link.

Download these reports as CSV

All reports in California by year: 2026 (1 here) · 2024 (1 here) · 2023 (2 here) · 2022 (4 here)

Wastewater outlets on this water

Combined sewer outfalls

18 outfalls · discharge possible now at 18

Discharge possible: heavy rain, no report received at 18 outfalls now: radar rainfall has reached the operator's threshold and no discharge report has arrived (NOAA radar estimate).

Showing 12 of 18.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) national combined sewer outfall inventory (ECHO) and state outfall layers. Open or closed as EPA's inventory lists it. DirtyWaterWatch links outlets to waters using permit numbers, locations and names.

Treatment plant outfalls

41 outfalls

Showing 12 of 41.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permit records (ICIS-NPDES permitted features): where a treatment plant’s permitted discharge leaves. No national source says whether a plant outfall is open or closed.

Sewer operators listed for this water: Burlingame, City of, and North Bayside System Unit, Central Marin Sanitation Agency, City of Alameda, City of Albany, City of Berkeley (Public Works), City of Emeryville, City of Livermore, Livermore-Amador Valley WMA, East Bay Dischargers Authority, City of Oakland Public Works, City of Palo Alto, City of Piedmont, City of San Leandro, Dublin San Ramon SD, Livermore-Amador Valley WMA, East Bay Dischargers Authority, East Bay Dischargers Authority; Livermore-Amador Valley WMA, East Bay Municipal Utility District, East Bay Regional Park District, Millbrae, City of, and North Bayside System Unit (NBSU), Oro Loma Sanitary District; Castro Valley Sanitary District, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, San Francisco, City and County of; North Bayside System Unit, Sanitary District No. 5 of Marin County, Sausalito-Marin City Sanitary District, Silicon Valley Clean Water, South San Francisco and San Bruno, Cities of & North Bayside System Unit (NBSU), Stege Sanitary District, U.S. Department of Navy, West County Agency; West County Wastewater District.

Boat launches

Source: OpenBoatLaunch launch records (public agency data and OpenStreetMap, Open Database License). · San Francisco Bay on OpenBoatLaunch

Nearby waters

Sources covering this water

8 records linked to this water: 1 sewage report, 7 algal bloom advisories. Updated .