The City of Los Angeles, Department of Public Works, Bureau of
Sanitation is responsible for collection, treatment, and
disposal of wastewater and its by-products. The Bureau of
Sanitation operates four wastewater treatment facilities
(Hyperion, Terminal Island, Donald C. Tillman, and Los Angeles
Glendale) within a 600 square-mile area. Managing 550 million
gallons of wastewater produced daily by more than four million
residents, the City of Los Angeles processes, recycles, and
renews 137 billion gallons of this wastewater annually into 26
billion gallons of recycled water for beneficial water
conservation purposes and manages the more than 250 thousand
tons of biosolids as a treated valuable commodity. Biosolids are
the nutrient-rich organic product of wastewater treatment.
During treatment, bacteria and other tiny organisms break sewage
down into simpler, harmless organic matter, which contains
essential plant nutrients. The City’s biosolids, used in growing
animal feed as a safe alternative to chemical fer