[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 47 (Monday, March 24, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E555]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         SACRAMENTO REGIONAL COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT'S 30TH 
                              ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT T. MATSUI

                             of california

                  in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 24, 2003

  Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Sacramento 
Regional County Sanitation District's noteworthy 30th Anniversary. Its 
regional approach to wastewater management has ensured a higher quality 
of life for Sacramento residents and our neighbors downstream. I ask 
all of my colleagues to join with me in saluting this important 
milestone in protecting the environment and serving the public.
  Three decades ago, Sacramento-area leaders, realizing the tremendous 
potential for the area's growth, joined forces to form the Sacramento 
Regional County Sanitation District (SRCSD). Back then, this 
represented a unique approach to the conveyance, treatment and 
discharge of wastewater in the Sacramento region. Until that time (and 
until the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant was completed 
in 1983), wastewater treatment and disposal were handled by up to 22 
individual treatment plants, many located along the Sacramento and 
American rivers. These small treatment plants, some built in the 1950's 
and '60s, had become enveloped by neighborhoods and urban population 
centers. As the region's population grew, Sacramento County clearly 
needed a more comprehensive approach to wastewater management.
  Sound planning, vision, and the Clean Water Act of 1972 helped the 
District stay ahead of the rapid changes fueled by Sacramento's 
expanding population. This massive growth was factored into plans for a 
regional wastewater treatment plant, which serves the needs of most of 
the region's residential, business and industrial customers. 
Construction of the treatment plant and SRCSD's extensive interceptor 
system were made possible by federal Clean Water Act funds, as well as 
state and local funding to finance construction.
  Thirty years later, SRCSD represents a truly successful regionalized 
sanitation effort that serves an entire urbanized area with efficient 
and high qualify wastewater treatment services. As a result, the entire 
region benefits from cleaner waterways, sending all its wastewater to 
one point of discharge, away from important drinking water intake 
locations. Mr. Speaker, as Sacramento Regional County Sanitation 
District celebrates its 30th Anniversary, I ask my colleagues to join 
me in paying tribute to its significant accomplishments and dedication 
to excellent public service.

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