A failed primary clarifier that has been out of service since Monday at the City’s wastewater treatment plant on Canal Boulevard is responsible for multiple spikes in H2S, (also known as sewer gas, swamp gas, stink damp, and sour damp) a colorless gas known for its pungent "rotten egg" odor at low concentrations. It is extremely flammable and highly toxic.

You can get continuous reports from the H2S monitors at https://richmondwpcp-h2s.org/. The Public Works Director reports that, “something unidentified came into that tank late last week overloading the collector system causing the flight chains to break. We have been pumping the tank down to gain access and determine the extent of the damage. Once the tank was empty, we began adding chlorinated water to the empty clarifier to help control odors. The required repair parts are in inventory, so the plan is to start the repairs on Thursday and return the unit to service on Friday.”

The acceptable level of H2S is 60 parts per billion (ppb), but spikes have sent it as high as 150 ppb.

You would think that the new mayor, Eduardo Martinez, and the new District 2 City Council member, Cesar Zepeda, would have been on top of this, or at least notified the community, but they have other priorities, such as defunding the police. Zepeda attended a Point Richmond Neighborhood Council meeting last night but did not mention the H2S spikes.