This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Recycling sewage is an uphill battle in Los Angeles County, literally
The Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County operate a treatment plant in Carson, at sea level, where they're considering treating sewage water for reuse. The water would be pumped back uphill to foothill communities for injection into aquifers.
(
courtesy the AAEES
)
Listen
0:47
Recycling sewage is an uphill battle in Los Angeles County, literally
Southern California water managers want to build new systems to recycle sewage into drinking water. Little of SoCal's wastewater is currently recycled now, and there’s a good reason for that: geography.
“That’s where the rub is,” says Metropolitan Water District (MWD) chief engineer Gordon Johnson. “If you think of Southern California from the mountains down to the ocean, the elevation is falling.”
Los Angeles County’s largest treatment plant is in Carson, where it sits at sea level, taking advantage of gravity. So is the Hyperion Treatment Plant, operated by the city of Los Angeles. As a result, hundreds of billions of gallons of treated sewage is perfectly positioned to go out to sea.
“They’re kind of at the end of the water system,” says Tim Brick, managing director of the Arroyo Seco Foundation, and a retired chair of the Metropolitan Water District.
To recycle, in the short term, Metropolitan and L.A. County could pump water back up to aquifers in the foothills, where it could then percolate into groundwater aquifers.
“We’re going to be looking at different routes for the pipelines, different locations for injection wells, how to get to existing basins,” says MWD's Johnson.
Both MWD and L.A. County may start implementing some small scale, short-term fixes in 2017. The Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County are scheduled to consider a memorandum of understanding for a pilot project next month; MWD memos suggest that the project would take 20 months to get underway.
Sponsored message
One longer term solution under consideration? Moving the treatment plant.
“We're going to see a move towards smaller, more decentralized smaller scale plants that are closer to where we're going to see water percolated into the groundwater basins,” says Brick. “But that's 20 years away, probably.”
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
