To protect our water environment and comply with the upcoming mercury discharge regulations, Union Sanitary District is taking an active role in reducing mercury discharges.

Mercury for Digital

What's the Problem?
Mercury, the highly toxic metal found in many glass thermometers, is polluting San Francisco Bay. Recent studies show relatively high levels of mercury accumulating in fish, clams, and other organisms in the Bay. When the glass mercury thermometers break, the mercury ultimately finds its way into the San Francisco Bay, usually through your home sinks. In fact, the half-gram of mercury in a thermometer is enough to pollute 5 million gallons of bay water!

What's the Solution?
The Union Sanitary District's Wastewater Treatment Plant processes can only remove a small portion of the mercury in wastewater, most of the toxic metal continues out into the Bay. The best solution to protect water quality is to prevent mercury from entering the wastewater system.

How Can You Help?
Mercury for Digital is a program to eliminate one common source of mercury; glass mercury thermometers. We are offering to exchange your mercury thermometer for a new digital type thermometer at no cost to you! The digital type is equally accurate and easy to use. We will safely dispose of the mercury thermometers to prevent them from contaminating our waters.

Mercury Thermometer Exchange

DROP-OFF LOCATIONS:	City of Newark 6170 Thornton Avenue Newark, CA 94560 (510) 790-7254 (Fire Administrative Office)
	City of Fremont 39550 Liberty Street Fremont, CA 94537 (510) 494-4693 (Development Services Center/Environmental Services-2nd Floor)
	Union Sanitary District 5072 Benson Road Union City, CA 94587 (Front Lobby) Phone: (510) 477-7500
HOURS OF OPERATION:	Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (City of Fremont is closed during lunch hour from 12:00pm-1:00pm.)