Water Reclamation and Reuse
As the population in Los Angeles County grew after World War II, the Sanitation Districts realized that additional facilities and infrastructure (beyond tunnel and deep ocean disposal) would be needed to accommodate growth and continue to protect public health and the environment. The Sanitation Districts were also looking at ways to accommodate reclaiming and reusing wastewater.

A Plan for Water Reuse was published in 1963, calling for the Sanitation Districts to build facilities in areas that could collect high quality wastewater from primarily residential areas for reclamation and reuse. That eventually gave rise to the Sanitation Districts’ Water Reclamation Plants.

2010 Facilities Plan
A Facilities Plan was published in 1995, resulting in upgrades to the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) that were completed in 2005. A new Facilities Plan is needed to address aging infrastructure and update the existing 2010 Plan.

Industrial Wastes
The Sanitation Districts have developed a number of programs over the years to ensure that industries remove harmful materials from their wastewater before it is allowed to go into the sewer system.

The Sanitation Districts’ Industrial Waste Section has worked cooperatively with industries since the 1970s to reduce and manage industrial wastes in compliance with increasingly stringent regulations.

Household Hazardous Waste Round-Ups
In 1989, the Sanitation Districts, in conjunction with Los Angeles County Deparment of Public Works, began the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Program to give residents a convenient and free way to properly dispose of HHWs.

“No Drugs Down the Drain”
The Sanitation Districts’ latest program is “No Drugs Down the Drain” and is aimed at educating the public about the importance of properly disposing of pharmaceuticals and their effect on the environment.

Green Power
The Sanitation Districts were identified by the Environmental Protection Agency as one of the top 10 "Green Power Partners" in the nation. The Sanitation Districts were the only one on the list who generates the green power they use. The Sanitation Districts were also awarded an Honorable Mention in Energy Efficiency by the Flex Your Power Organization, a statewide energy efficiency marketing and outreach program.

CNG Fueling Facility
The new JWPCP Compressed Natural Gas Fueling Station expects to dispense approximately 200,000 gasoline gallon equivalent units of CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) fuel per year to local customers. The Sanitation Districts also plan to replace gasoline vehicles at the JWPCP with natural gas-powered vehicles as they reach the end of their useful lives.

Marshland Enhancement Program
The Marshland Enhancement Program provides for the restoration, enhancement and maintenance of a 17.5-acre freshwater marsh area located on the JWPCP property at the southwest corner of Sepulveda Boulevard and Figueroa Street in the City of Carson.

The new marshland will provide educational opportunities and feature improved water flow, the planting of native plants and removal of non-native varieties.

Educational Programs
The Sanitation Districts provide several educational programs for schools, community organizations and others. The public can tour the Sanitation Districts’ facilities, and middle and high schools in the Sanitation Districts' service area are provided with reimbursement for buses and substitute teacher fees for visits to a Sanitation Districts' solid waste facility or a wastewater treatment plant.

Educational programs include a teacher’s guide on solid waste management and wastewater treatment; Sewer Science, a 5-7 day wastewater treatment laboratory for high school students; and Think Earth, an award-winning program focusing on conserving natural resources, reducing waste and minimizing pollution.

Awards
The Sanitation Districts have been recognized dozens of times by a number of organizations in the wastewater field, including the California Water Environment Association (CWEA); the American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE); the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA); and the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an international organization of water quality professionals. Among the most recent awards are:

• Grand Prize – Operations/Management Category – Excellence in Environmental Engineering Competition for “The Power of Innovation – Antelope Valley Green Energy Program” (from AAEE)

• First Place – Research Achievement Award for “Nitrification/Denitrification Process Research at the Valencia Water Reclaimation Plant” (from CWEA)

• National Environmental Achievement Award (Research and Technology) for “Integrated Nitrogen Removal System Helps Valencia Water Reclamation Plant Meet Stringent Effluent Nitrogen Discharge Limits” (from NACWA)

• Grand Prize – Research Category, Excellence in Environmental Engineering Competition, “Getting the N Out, Integrating Sidestream Treatment for Nitrogen Removal” (from AAEE)

• Platinum, Gold and Silver Awards for Compliance with Treatment Plant Discharge Requirements at the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant and the upstream Water Reclamation Plants (from NACWA)

• George Schroepfer Medal for Innovative Wastewater Facility Design (from WEF)

• Clearwater Public Outreach Awards
  — LABS
  — CWEA