Today, WaterKeepers Northern California, its project DeltaKeeper, and the University of California announced a settlement agreement resolving DeltaKeeper's Clean Water Act lawsuit against the University of California, Davis. DeltaKeeper filed the lawsuit alleging Clean Water Act violations by the university on May 24, 2000.

In an effort to forestall a lengthy legal proceeding and begin the work of resolving their differences, the parties shifted their focus to problem-solving and their shared commitment to improving the water quality in Putah Creek, the Sacramento Delta and San Francisco Bay.

"This is a historic settlement that commits UC Davis to a wide range of improvements in its approach to pollution control," said DeltaKeeper Bill Jennings. "We look forward to working with the university in its efforts to set an example of technological innovation and environmental stewardship," Jennings added.

Under the terms of the agreement the university will build on its existing program to preserve water quality. "We have agreed to take these steps because we believe that water quality is an important issue. We share DeltaKeeper's commitment to ensuring that Putah Creek has the highest water quality possible," said Julie McNeal, acting director of operations and maintenance at UC Davis.

Putah Creek flows from Lake Berryessa in Lake County through the Yolo Bypass to the Sacramento River and the bay. It forms part of the southern boundary of the UC Davis campus. Treated water from the campus's wastewater treatment plant is discharged to the creek at the rate of 2 million gallons per day. Some untreated surface runoff water also reaches the creek from the campus through storm drains.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the university agreed to a number of improvements in its approach to managing impacts on water quality. These include obtaining new permits from the Regional Water Quality Control Board, upgrading campus animal facilities to prevent discharges of wastewater and reduce pollution in stormwater runoff, and revising stormwater pollution plans and instituting performance standards for campus industrial facilities.