It is located in Alviso, at the southernmost tip of the San Francisco Bay. Originally constructed in 1956, the Plant had the capacity to treat 36,000,000 gallons of water per day and only provided primary treatment. In 1964, the Plant added a secondary treatment process to its system. In 1979, the Plant upgraded its wastewater treatment process to an advanced, tertiary system. That journey can take up to 10 hours.
Water is a limited resource in the earth's closed ecosystem.
By treating wastewater, cleaner, fresh water is available for the continued needs of humans, animals, and plants. Treating wastewater protects human health from pathogenic bacteria such as typhoid, cholera, dysentery, polio, and hepatitis. Wastewater treatment also prevents oxygen depletion in the water supply and prevents odors. Too much fresh water discharged into South San Francisco Bay may change the delicate mix of fresh and salt water and the ecological balance of the Bay's fragile habitat. That's why it's important to understand the impact of our homes and businesses of the ecosystem of the South Bay and to do our utmost to conserve water .