Environmental Monitoring

The City has a laboratory at the Hyperion Water Plant, where solids and liquids are analyzed numerous times throughout the process. This way, it is ensured that systems are working correctly. Samples of the coastal waters are taken throughout the year to check for any impact by the water plant on the Santa Monica Bay.

Beneficial Use Sites

Biosolids are applied at the Green Acres Farm in Ken County. 99.9% of the biosolids produced at the water plant are applied here, to grow corn, wheat, and alfalfa as non-food crops.

Gas to Energy

Biogas produced in the digesters is transported to the nearby City of Los Angeles, Department of Water and Power’s Scattergood Steam Power Plant. Here, about 8 million cubic feet of gas are converted into energy daily. The LADWP, in return, provides enough energy to supply the Hyperion Water Plant's daily needs.

Reclaimed Water Processing

About 6% of the water is pumped to the West Basin Water Recycling Plant. After further processing here, the water is then used for industrial and irrigational purposes.

Structure in charge of pumping water to the West Basin Plant

Ocean Outfall

Most of the water that passes the secondary treatment stage is then pumped into the Santa Monica Bay through a 5-mile outfall. The water poured out meets the State cleat water standards and is compatible with bay waters, as well as the flora and fauna that inhabit them.

The structure in charge of pouring the water into the ocean

Secondary Treatent: STAGE 2

The bacteria are removed from the waste water by a settling process in the clarifiers. Some of the waste will be sent back to the tanks to be treated again and some will be thickened and sent to the digesters.

The 36 clarifiers available at the Hyperion Plant

Secondary Treatment: STAGE 1

Secondary treatment has two stages: First, in oxygen rich tanks, bacteria that live in the waste water consume the rest of the organic matter. Then, these bacteria settle to the bottom of the tank to be removed in the clarifiers.

Intermediate Pumping Station

The Hyperion Treatment Plant houses the world's largest waste water-related Archimedes Screw Pumps in the world. The pump puctured above is one of several pumps located at the Hyperion Treatment Plant.

Primary Treatment

In the underground tanks, the remaining solids are removed by being sunk to the bottom of the tank and pumped to digesters. The tanks are covered by a roof to reduce the smell of the pungent gases produced by the contaminated water. The remaining water is then pumped to the secondary treatment system for further cleansing.

Unit that removes the odor produced by the sewage

One of the four underground tanks at the plant

The Beginning of the Process

The process of treating the water starts with the sewage being separated into the solids and liquids.
This picture is a truck being filled with the solid waste, which will then be transported to a solid waste management facility.

History of Hyperion Treatment Plant

The Hyperion Treatment Plant is the City's oldest and largest wastewater treatment facility. The plant has been operating since 1894. The plant has been expanded and improved numerous times over the last 100+ years. Today, leading edge technological innovations capitalize upon the opportunity to recover wastewater bio-resources that are used for energy generation and agricultural applications. In addition, air emission controls and odor management facilities are integrated in all improvements. More of these forward thinking strategies will become realities at Hyperion in the coming years to better protect our coastal environment and serve our communities.

Raul Huang Liu and Calvin Choi Adventure Time

For the activist experience, we have come to the Hyperion treatment plant. This is a waste water treatment plant located next to the Dockweiler Beach. My father, Kuokfai Choi, works at this plant and gave us a personal tour.

Address: 12000 Vista Del Mar, Los Angeles, 90293
Phone: (310) 648-5000