Treatment FAQ

where does poo go san francisco wastewater treatment

by Noemi Wuckert Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Where does poop go after treatment? Chemicals are added to kill as many germs as possible. Then the treated water is released into a local river or even the ocean. If you live near the coast your treated sewage probably goes into the ocean.

Each non-rainy day more than 80 million gallons of wastewater is collected and transported to one of three treatment plants (Southeast, Oceanside, and NorthPoint), where harmful pollutants like human waste, oil and other pesticides are removed before reaching the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean.

Full Answer

Where does waste from water treatment go?

What happens to the treated water when it leaves the wastewater treatment plant? The treated wastewater is released into local waterways where it's used again for any number of purposes, such as supplying drinking water, irrigating crops, and sustaining aquatic life.

Does San Francisco dump sewage in the ocean?

According to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission website, a few parts of the city (Ocean Beach, Lake Merced, and Mission Bay) are served by a sewer system where stormwater "goes directly into the Bay and Ocean with minimal treatment."

How does San Francisco handle sewage and wastewater?

Most of San Francisco is served by a combined sewer system which conveys wastewater and stormwater in the same set of sewer pipes. Typically, this combined effluent is sent to a treatment plant where it is treated to secondary treatment standards before being discharged into the Bay or Ocean.

Where does wastewater go in California?

In California, wastewater treatment takes place through 100,000 miles of sanitary sewer lines and at more than 900 wastewater treatment plants that manage the roughly 4 billion gallons of wastewater generated in the state each day.

Does San Francisco have a combined sewer system?

San Francisco operates combined sewer systems that collect and convey sewage and stormwater for treatment prior to discharge to San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

How many miles of sewers does San Francisco have?

1,000 milesSan Francisco is 49 square miles, but contains over 1,000 miles of sewer mains, running under every block.

Where does sewer go?

All this waste makes its way through the drains into the septic tank, where dense matter settles at the bottom of the tank while liquid goes into the soak away pit from where it percolates into the soil. The sewer pipes running out of homes and offices also gather other kinds of waste along the way.

How much wastewater can San Francisco's wastewater network carry per day?

On a typical dry weather day, the system collects and treats more than 80 million gallons of wastewater, primarily municipal sewage.

How long does sewage contamination last in the sea?

After a sewage spill, it usually takes from 48 to 72 hours for a water body to return to a safe condition. Sometimes it can take a week or more. A number of factors will determine when a contaminated water body will return back to a safe condition.

Does California dump sewage into the ocean?

Unfortunately, all California coastal communities pump millions of gallons of “sewage effluent” into the Pacific Ocean daily! All of these coastal cities are really to blame for the decrease of flora and fauna in our ocean.

What does California do with waste water?

Treated wastewater is used in California to support aquatic ecosystems, like wetlands, rivers, and lakes. This can be for the purposes of habitat restoration, water flow augmentations, and water quantity and quality maintenance.

Does California recycle waste water?

California is a national leader in recycled water. Our Legislature and regulatory agencies have prioritized recycled water policies to help increase its use statewide.

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