This year marks the 50th anniversary of a transformational turning point for Bay water quality: passage of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, commonly known as the Clean Water Act (CWA). On the occasion of this momentous milestone, this edition of The Pulse of the Bay includes nine perspectives written by representatives of the groups that have a prominent role in managing Bay water quality, and profiles of the parameters that have been the main water quality concerns over the past 50 years, with a focus on long-term trends and a historical perspective. The CWA provided a legal framework and a considerable amount of federal funding (over $1 billion, equivalent to approximately $7 billion in 2022 dollars) that drove a rapid and remarkable improvement in Bay water quality. By 1987, all municipal wastewater treatment plants but one were providing secondary treatment, which effectively removes oxygen demanding organic matter and bacteria as well as many toxic metals and organic chemicals. Bay monitoring data available for the 1970s and 1980s show that dissolved oxygen levels increased, and bacteria and toxic metal concentrations sharply declined. By 1982, public harvesting of shellfish in San Mateo County was approved for the first time in 50 years. By 1987, the Water Board concluded that swimming was safe in most areas of the Bay during summer.
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