Every time you flush your toilet you use the City of Los Angeles’ sewage treatment infrastructure. But what exactly happens to that waste once it enters the sewer system and where does it go? Those are just a few of the questions that I sought to answer when I arranged a tour of the Bureau of Sanitation’s Hyperion Treatment Plant (HTP), located on the coast in Playa del Rey.
I arrived at the plant in the early afternoon and checked in at the Los Angeles Environmental Learning Center (ELC). There I met my tour guide, Nancy Carr, who provided some background information about the plant before guiding me and several other people around the facility.
I find that tours such as these are really hit or miss. Sometimes you’re in the hands of someone who knows their subject and understands how to explain it in lay language. At other times you’re not. Fortunately for me and countless others, Nancy falls into the first category. She was personable, highly knowledgeable and willing and able to answer our questions.
The HTP is a massive 144-acre facility that serves 3.3 million people living in Los Angeles and 29 contracting cities. The L.A. Bureau of Sanitation also manages three other sewage treatment facilities, including the Terminal Island, Donald C. Tillman and Los Angeles – Glendale Water Reclamation Plants.
