Reference Documents

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

San Francisco's Sewage

What is a trip to San Francisco without wastewater reporting when you have a sewer blog? I kept hoping for at least a manhole cover to show you as I was walking along the streets downtown. But all I saw without getting run over in traffic was PG & E manhole covers. Most disappointing.
I had better luck on the sewer front as we were driving out of town to go home. On the Great Highway, there are two sewage-related buildings. First I saw a Pump Station—the Westside Pump Station. Here is a shot of it by Ben Niehaus. I was driving, bummer, no shot for me! His has better weather than mine would have had however.
Next, just beyond this, was the Oceanside Treatment Plant! What a bonanza, yet I had to drive right past them both! Bummer!
So I googled them when I got home. Here is a great article by Mark Lukach, “Poop Parade: Behind the Scenes of the Oceanside Treatment Plant.”
You might want to get an overview of San Francisco’s entire sewage picture, so I have provided some fun links.

San Francisco Sewer System Master Plan as of 2010:
Appendix H of said plan (CSD stands for “Combined Sewer Discharge - sewer and storm waters):
Appendix I of that plan - S.F. Pump stations:

Westside Pump Station map:

Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant map:

But even cooler is this map, that shows both plants, plus a whole lot more:

Art, apparently at the Westside Pump Station!

Coolest of all are the TOURS!!! Access the information off this link:
http://sfwater.org/index.aspx?page=95

I will try to better coordinate my next trip north.

No comments: