These plants clean and purify the water delivered to the District by the South Bay Aqueduct. By the time water leaves these facilities and is pumped to homes and businesses, it exceeds federal water quality standards. The Mission San Jose Water Treatment Plant, located off Vargas Road in the hills above Mission San Jose, was put into operation in 1975. With a capacity of 21-28 million gallons of water per day, Water Treatment Plant No. 2 is the district's newest and most advanced treatment facility. Hydropower - The water source for the plant is the state's South Bay Aqueduct.
Water is delivered to the plant through a three foot diameter pipeline.
Because of the elevation difference between the aqueduct and the plant, the District installed turbines to generate electricity. The Hydroelectric Power Facility at the plant can produce enough electricity to run all the treatment processes, including ozone generation. Ozonation - Ozone is the primary disinfectant of the water coming into the plant. Ozone-rich air is bubbled up through the water in a series of ozone contact chambers. In addition to being a highly effective disinfectant, the ozonation process also destroys compounds which cause unpleasant tastes and odors in the water.