Rains wash pollutants into area waters – Experts worry about high bacteria levels from feces, By Suzanne Bohan, Inside Bay Area: “One of the rewards of enduring days of downpours is the fresh look of local landscapes, cleansed of the grime of urban life. But while the skies clear, pollutants — the overflows and leaks from sewage systems, animal waste, road grease, pesticides and fertilizers — have ended up in local waterways, creating what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cites as among the largest collective sources of pollutants of the nation’s waters… “In wet weather, a large portion of the Bay will fail to meet (state) standards,” for water quality, said Mike Conner, executive director of the San Francisco Estuary Institute, citing data from Heal The Bay, a Santa Monica organization which monitors water quality at beaches statewide, among other activities.”