AFTER MORE THAN FIVE YEARS of construction, San Mateo’s upgraded Wastewater Treatment Plant was unveiled in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. It is the largest infrastructure project in San Mateo’s history, and developers say it’s one of the most sustainable wastewater treatment facilities in the country.
Dozens of local leaders, such as U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, San Mateo County Supervisor Noelia Corzo, Foster City Mayor Stacy Jimenez, and San Mateo Mayor Rob Newsom were among a crowd of attendees who celebrated the plant’s grand opening on Wednesday.
“Clean water is not a partisan issue,” Mullin said in a speech. “It is a community issue, a health issue and an environmental issue. Today’s ribbon cutting is a victory for everyone in San Mateo County and for the Bay Area.”
The upgraded Wastewater Treatment Plant is located next to the old plant near the shoreline of San Francisco Bay, which has operated since 1933.
The plant is part of San Mateo’s $1 billion Clean Water Program, an initiative that was launched in 2015 in response to a cease and desist order the city received mandating sewer system improvements to prevent overflow into the San Francisco Bay.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, many miles of beaches along the Bay have unacceptable levels of bacteria due to sewage spills and deteriorating infrastructure.
The upgraded plant was designed with a greater capacity to store wastewater and to quickly clean wastewater before it’s released into the Bay, so that sewers won’t overflow during heavy rain.
The water treatment will be able to efficiently produce high-quality recyclable water at a large volume without polluting the Bay, making it a highly sustainable plant. The administration building also has a silver certification from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, a rating system that evaluates the sustainability aspects of buildings.
“The upgraded plant is going to be able to manage 78 million gallons a day at its peak to make sure that we can take on the heavy storms,” said San Mateo City Manager Alex Khojikian in a speech to the assembled. “This project will help eliminate the wet weather overflows in our community and really make sure that the storm water reaches the Bay cleanly.”
The Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade and Expansion Project replaced facilities that were between 40 to 75 years old. It will serve around 170,000 people across San Mateo, Foster City, parts of Hillsborough and Belmont, and some unincorporated areas in the county.
Nearly half of the $597 million cost to build the new facility came from the EPA through the Water Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act, or WIFIA. WIFIA is a program that provides low-interest loans to water infrastructure projects throughout the country.
“San Mateo’s Clean Water Program was one of only 39 projects in the country invited to apply in 2018, so it was a very competitive process,” Mullin said. “The city of San Mateo ultimately secured $277 million in low interest federal financing.”
The plant is expected to be operating in several weeks, according to Scott Joslyn, a wastewater treatment plant operator who is making sure that the facility is running smoothly.
“While wastewater treatment may not seem glamorous, it is essential,” San Mateo Mayor Newsom said. “It’s the quiet work that protects public health, safeguards our environment and gives city a peace of mind. Long after today’s celebration, this plant will still be here, serving our community with reliability every single day.”