LA to pay $20.8 million for discharging untreated wastewater into Santa Monica Bay

LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- The city of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $20.8 million to fix issues at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant and to complete related environmental projects linked to the discharge of millions of gallons of wastewater into Santa Monica Bay in 2021, officials announced Tuesday.

Hyperion, the city's oldest and largest wastewater treatment facility, collects, treats and disposes of wastewater for Los Angeles and several other municipalities, including Beverly Hills, Culver City, El Segundo, Santa Monica, San Fernando and West Hollywood. Hyperion's service area includes more than 4 million people.

The facility treats an average of 260 million gallons of wastewater per day, of which 225 million gallons are discharged through its 5-Mile Outfall to the Santa Monica Bay and 35 million gallons are conveyed to a water recycling facility for advanced treatment and reuse. Treatment of wastewater begins in a portion of the facility called the Headworks area, which involves the use of bar screens to remove large objects such as branches, plastics and rags, from the entering wastewater.

In July 2021, the Headworks became inundated with debris, causing wastewater to flood that area. Hyperion's relief system was triggered and about 12.5 million gallons of untreated wastewater was discharged through the facility's 1 Mile Outfall into the Santa Monica Bay, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Offshore water quality testing and monitoring subsequently conducted around the 5-Mile Outfall showed an excess of applicable water quality standards for total coliform bacteria, E. coli, and Enterococcus, prosecutors said.

To resolve the government's criminal investigation, the city has agreed to spend no less than $20 million to perform and complete various projects at Hyperion, which the city agreed to perform under an administrative order previously issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, court papers show.

The city will also retain a qualified third-party auditor to conduct annual audits of Hyperion's operations to determine whether it is in compliance with the corrective work and the Clean Water Act, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Finally, prosecutors said, the city has agreed to perform a one-year community outreach service project in coordination with the Los Angeles Sanitation and Environmental Department and a nonprofit. That work will include meetings with local government officials and community members, developing an improved emergency communications plan, and coordinating educational outreach with residents and schools.

The cost of the additional monitoring, rapid bacteria testing study, and the community outreach project is estimated to be no less than $800,000, according to the agreement.

"We in Southern California love our beaches and people in our community deserve clean waters free of contamination when they visit the beach,'' U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. "This agreement requires the city to take concrete steps and commit substantial funds to improving the Hyperion facility and thereby prevent a disaster like this from recurring.''

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