West Bay district honored as 'collection system of year'

The West Bay Sanitary District took the top local award in its category in a California Water Environment Association competition for "Collection System of the Year."

Districts in the Santa Clara Valley section of the CWEA competed for the award. The West Bay district won in the "small district" category. The Santa Clara Valley section includes most of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

District Manager Carl Schrader said that the district did not advance to the state-level competition, but district staff and board members are proud nonetheless: It was the first year the district competed for the award, and there was much to learn from the experience that can be applied to next year's presentation to the judges.

In submitting its entry in the competition, the district emphasized its "flow equalization" plan, which deals primarily with peak wet-weather flows; and an innovative program dealing primarily with failing septic tanks.

The West Bay district collects sewage for about 18,500 homes and businesses in a 13-square-mile area of Menlo Park, Atherton, and parts of Portola Valley, Woodside, East Palo Alto and unincorporated San Mateo County.