San Francisco officials cut ribbon at upgraded wastewater treatment plant

Marcin Wichary / Flickr / Creative Commons

The Southeast Treatment Plant is San Francisco’s largest and oldest wastewater treatment facility. 80 percent of San Francisco’s wastewater passes through it.

“Every time somebody in North Beach, the Mission, the Bayview, and many other neighborhoods flushes a toilet, washes a dish, or takes a shower, that flow comes here first.”

That’s San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Manager, Dennis Herrera. He says the 717 million dollar project has a smaller carbon footprint, and will remove about a ton of grit each day.

Renovations were also made with natural disasters and sea level rise in mind. The facility was engineered to withstand a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, and up to three feet of sea level rise.