Approximately 2.7 million gallons (10.2 million liters) of partially treated sewage were dumped into the San Francisco Bay on Thursday night. Officials from Marin County are trying to find out the degree damage inflicted on the environment.

The spill reportedly took place at a sewage treatment plant in Mill Valley because of a failure at a pump, including an alarm system meant to monitor it. Investigators said they believe the cause of the failure was the constant rain that kept on pouring over the system for several weeks.

The stinking flow of sewage poured out of the Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin plant in Mill Valley between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. and flowed into the eastern arm of Richardson Bay. The current could carry pollutants past Sausalito and Tiburon into San Francisco Bay.

Authorities took several measures to prevent the situation from getting worst. Warning signs were posted at numerous beaches situated in the vicinity of the spill - including Crissy Field, Baker Beach, China Beach and Aquatic Park - and tests to determine whether any hazardous sewage escaped have been initiated.

"We are testing the waters near the accident site to determine if there are any public health issues," said Janell Myhre, the emergency services coordinator for Marin County, north of San Francisco.

Boaters and fishermen were also advised by public health officials to avoid contact with the water near Richardson Bay, near Sausalito.

This accident occurred just three months after a Chinese container ship struck the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, spilling 58,000 gallons of fuel. That accident also forced authorities to close several beaches as the spill soiled 40 miles (65 km) of shoreline.

Unfortunately, only the state regulators were notified about the spill before midnight Thursday. The local officials, environmentalists and regular users of the bay found out about the spill much later, in some cases even 20 hours later.

"We're asking why there was such a delay," said Marin County sheriff's Lt. Doug Pittman, the spokesman for the county Office of Emergency Services.

"Coming on the coattails of the Cosco Busan (oil spill) response, any delay is something we are concerned about," he said. "In the next few days, we will be trying to find out why there was such an untimely delay."