At the time, it seemed innocuous: Another one of those resolutions that carry no weight -- many times introduced by an elected official seeking higher office -- and are quickly forgotten and relegated to history's dust bin.

Not this one.

On Jan. 28, the Fresno City Council approved a resolution objecting to increases in the discharge limits of the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. The increases shouldn't go forward, the resolution said, until there is a scientific finding that they won't harm endangered delta fish and effective ammonia-removal equipment is installed at the plant.

The Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District -- which oversees the plant -- protested the resolution in a letter to the council, and then sent a representative to speak against it.

But the district is not conceding defeat.

Since the vote, it has sent a Public Records Act request to the city seeking all material used in drafting the resolution, including e-mails and documents. And on March 1, it sent a letter calling on the council "to take action to reverse" the resolution.

The letter said "strong claims were made about the alleged impacts on ammonium in Sacramento's wastewater... when misinformation like this becomes part of the public discussion, it ultimately harms all public facilities that are responsible for managing wastewater."

Stan Dean, the district's director of policy and planning, said the fight continues because the resolution is built on claims that are "flat-out wrong" and that must be corrected "because it does turn into an urban myth. Water in this state is becoming such a big issue that science may not carry the day in the end and public opinion may override it."

And that, he said, results in bad public policy and higher rates for users.

Incidentally, the resolution was introduced by Fresno City Council President Larry Westerlund, who is a Republican candidate for the 19th Congressional District, where George Radanovich is retiring.