On May 3rd, about 2:30 pm, Alane Gray, Brisbane citizen and a volunteer at the Mission Blue Nursery, noticed that the stream that empties into the Brisbane Lagoon was white. She called me at San Bruno Mountain Watch, and I went out to look. I took these pictures at 2:45 from the bridge that goes over the creek.

I also called Clay Holstine, who sent out some city workers to investigate. No one could find the source of the white substance. I suspected that the pollution had come from the Industrial Park, since the pipe that comes from downtown Brisbane was dry. From later communication with City Engineer Randy Breault, I learned that the city has noticed this kind of discharge before, and has tried unsuccessfully to track down the polluter. They also tested samples of the white water, but got no conclusive results. They suspect a cleaning fluid of some kind. The city is working to come up with way to track down the source if this situation reoccurs.

Any pollution of this sort further degrades the already fragile and stressed bay ecosystem. Everyone is eager to find the source of the pollution and to stop it.

-Ken McIntire