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Penalty for worker who urinated in California reservoir

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 6:25 pm
by markskor
(Reuters) - A public utilities employee found to have urinated into a California drinking water reservoir that had been emptied for maintenance likely will be suspended for several days without pay, a utility official said on Tuesday. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission learned from an employee that Martin Sanchez, who earns $111,000 a year as a maintenance planner, on Jan. 6 urinated into the Priest Reservoir just west of Yosemite National Park, said utility spokesman Tyrone Jue. "There was actually no impact to public health, there was no impact to water supply. It was just an unacceptable action by this employee," Jue said.
The Priest Reservoir, which holds 674 million gallons when full, is part of the massive Hetch Hetchy Water System that serves people in the San Francisco Bay area. Water from the reservoir is treated with chlorine and by shining ultraviolet light on it as it passes through tubes.

After receiving the report that Sanchez had urinated in the reservoir, the utility concluded that he had in fact done the deed, Jue said. No criminal charges are pending in the case.
"The message to him is very clear, even after this disciplinary action - zip it up or you're going to get shipped out," Jue said.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Bill Trott)

Re: Penalty for worker who urinated in California reservoir

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 6:51 pm
by rlown
gotta fill up the reservoir somehow without rain.. Like people don't pee all the way up and down the Tuolumne River, and other stuff. You're welcome San Francisco.. :)

Re: Penalty for worker who urinated in California reservoir

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 7:07 pm
by ERIC
I recall a similar story a few years ago, but don't remember where in CA it was.

Re: Penalty for worker who urinated in California reservoir

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 7:10 pm
by rlown

Re: Penalty for worker who urinated in California reservoir

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 7:15 pm
by ERIC
Nope. It was somewhere in CA. LA or SF supplies IIRC.

Re: Penalty for worker who urinated in California reservoir

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 7:53 pm
by dave54
ERIC wrote:Nope. It was somewhere in CA. LA or SF supplies IIRC.
There are restroom signs around here that say "Flush twice. L.A. needs the water."

Re: Penalty for worker who urinated in California reservoir

Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 5:48 pm
by giantbrookie
To keep this in perspective, many water agencies allow grazing on their watershed lands, including SF Water . Accordingly cows routinely poop and pee into the water supply. The reason this isn't a health concern is the fact that water is treated after it leaves the reservoir.

Re: Penalty for worker who urinated in California reservoir

Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 10:18 am
by pennace1
Our local reservoir here in Pa banned ice fishing because people were going to the bathroom while fishing. Well pardon me but beavers muskrats and bears all **** in and around it and the water still tastes pretty good when treated. Jeez...

Re: Penalty for worker who urinated in California reservoir

Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 12:13 pm
by limpingcrab
I'm just wondering who actually goes through the trouble of reporting something like that? They must have a lot of time on their hands.

In reference to some of the above comments, human poo is way more toxic to us that most other animal poo, not that people going to the bathroom while ice fishing is really gonna do anything. You can actually eat bear poop if you're hungry, FYI :retard: