C&H Sugar Co. has agreed to pay $734,000 to settle allegations from the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board that its treatment operations in Crockett, California, violated Clean Water Act requirements and created a month-long odour nuisance in 2022 during an equipment failure.
The settlement stems from a September 2022 equipment failure at the jointly operated Philip F. Meads Water Treatment Plant. A heatwave reportedly caused a system breakdown that released strong odours across the Contra Costa County community through October.
Residents described the smell as resembling rotten eggs and sewage, and county health officials advised people to stay indoors due to elevated hydrogen sulfide levels.
According to the regional board, C&H failed to provide required information on its wastewater treatment system and missed deadlines to explain the cause of the failure. The company’s response came 209 days late and lacked key details on measures to prevent power outages and ensure proper maintenance, regulators said.
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The board also cited 15 violations of wastewater discharge limits between December 2020 and January 2024, as well as three instances of late monitoring reports.
Since the incidents, C&H said it has invested in improvements to its treatment system to prevent future problems. Regional board staff will continue to monitor the company’s compliance.
Under the terms of the proposed settlement, about $360,000 will go to the State Water Board’s Cleanup and Abatement Account, which funds pollution cleanup and drinking water projects across California. The remaining $374,000 will support construction of a Carquinez Waterfront improvement project, featuring a bioretention basin, rain garden, and permeable surfaces designed to filter stormwater and recharge groundwater. The project will also create community recreation space and improve access to the San Francisco Bay Trail.
