Re: Study debunks common misconception that urine is sterile

A San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) employee will be suspended for several days without pay after the SFPUC determined that he had urinated in the Priest Reservoir (west of Yosemite) on January 6th of this year. The SFPUC is the agency that operates the Hetch Hetchy Water System, including the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir inside Yosemite National Park.

“The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission learned from an employee that Martin Sanchez, who earns $111,000 a year as a maintenance planner, on Jan. 6 urinated into the Priest Reservoir just west of Yosemite National Park, said utility spokesman Tyrone Jue.

"The message to him is very clear, even after this disciplinary action - zip it up or you're going to get shipped out," Jue said.”

http://news.yahoo.com/penalty-tap-worker-urinated-california-reservoir-173749353.html

.

I bet he's pissed off about that.

Ha ha. That's a good one. I think he got off easy because with his job title, he should set an example and follow the rules. In the meantime, I would be happy to take his job at that incredibly salary and I promise that I will not put as much as a toe in the water much less piss in it.

Since the resorvoir is contaminated now, maybe they should just drain the whole thing. And take down the dam...

He urinated in Priest Reservoir not the Hetch Hetchy and it was empty because they were doing maintenance. However, I agree about the Hetch Hetchy and removing the dam. If they are not going to do that then at least let people canoe and swim in it which is allowed in other reservoirs.

The fish piss in it all day. They do other things in it too. Urine is sterile. I'm sure the raccoons that crap in the water add far worse things, like cryptosporidium or giardia, than human urine would.

Quote
Dave
The fish piss in it all day. They do other things in it too. Urine is sterile. I'm sure the raccoons that crap in the water add far worse things, like cryptosporidium or giardia, than human urine would.

But only humans can transmit cooties.

Quote
plawrence

Quote
Dave
The fish piss in it all day. They do other things in it too. Urine is sterile. I'm sure the raccoons that crap in the water add far worse things, like cryptosporidium or giardia, than human urine would.

But only humans can transmit cooties.

And it's the thought that counts.

---

Old Dude

Quote
Dave
The fish piss in it all day. They do other things in it too. Urine is sterile. I'm sure the raccoons that crap in the water add far worse things, like cryptosporidium or giardia, than human urine would.

According to a paper presented at the American Society of Microbiology in 2014, human urine is not sterile and even urine from healthy individuals contain bacteria. Since the water is treated and given the small ratio of urine to water, I would not be concerned. The issue for me is that this person, who is a maintenance planner, knows that peeing in the water is prohibited and he did any way. Another story I read said he has done it more than once. In this case, he should be fired. Who knows what other things he has been doing or not doing.

Quote
parklover
The issue for me is that this person, who is a maintenance planner, knows that peeing in the water is prohibited and he did any way.

At best it indicates a really bad attitude problem. He should have been fired and maybe prosecuted.

Quote
eeek

He should have been fired and maybe prosecuted.

If he is a member of a public employees union, firing him would be nearly impossible.

.

Quote
plawrence
If he is a member of a public employees union, firing him would be nearly impossible.

Nonsense. He can be fired for cause.

Quote
eeek

Quote
plawrence
If he is a member of a public employees union, firing him would be nearly impossible.

Nonsense. He can be fired for cause.

But not before he attends a disciplinary hearing. And with San Francisco public employee unions, that's their escape hatch.

If the public union employee in question calls in sick on the date of his/her hearing, the hearing is postponed. So guess what usually happens on the date of the disciplinary hearing.

Quote
plawrence
But not before he attends a disciplinary hearing. And with San Francisco public employee unions, that's their escape hatch.

No, that's nothing but union bashing. Those hearings and such are to protect the employees from being wrongly dismissed. If there is a good cause to fire anyone in a public employee union, it's not very hard to do so. I've seen it happen many times.

Quote

If the public union employee in question calls in sick on the date of his/her hearing, the hearing is postponed. So guess what usually happens on the date of the disciplinary hearing.

That's not true.

Quote
parklover
According to a paper presented at the American Society of Microbiology in 2014, human urine is not sterile and even urine from healthy individuals contain bacteria.

Not any bacteria that would cause any more pollution than the racoons crapping in it every night.

Quote

Since the water is treated and given the small ratio of urine to water, I would not be concerned. The issue for me is that this person, who is a maintenance planner, knows that peeing in the water is prohibited and he did any way. Another story I read said he has done it more than once. In this case, he should be fired. Who knows what other things he has been doing or not doing.

Why not fire him for something important? I'm glad he has a more reasonable supervisor.

Bacteria are found just about everywhere - even in solid rock almost a mile underground. I seriously doubt the amount of bacteria in a human bladder could contaminate a large reservoir like that.

You are correct that this amount would not contaminate a large reservoir. However, my point has always been that it is against the rules to urinate in the reservoir and it has been said he had done it more than once. Given his position, he knew it was not allowed and still he did it. There in lies the problem.

I'm not into punishing people for petty rule violations.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion but his bosses didn't think it was a petty violation and they also have the public to answer to. There is a possibility that he has had past problems at work that we don't know about that could have influenced their decision.

Quote
Dave
I'm not into punishing people for petty rule violations.

He wouldn't have been punished if fellow SFPUC employees didn't rat him out.

“A commission insider sent us a copy of an anonymous complaint to higher-ups alleging that a number of employees had seen Sanchez urinate “several times” in the reservoir — including the day they learned he had passed an interview for a management promotion and that they would soon be reporting to him.” — Matier and Ross, S.F. Chronicle

http://blog.sfgate.com/matierandross/2015/02/09/s-f-water-manager-faces-suspension-for-urinating-in-reservoir/

.