I’m spending a week in La Jolla, CA, USA, about 15ft above sea level and I’m wondering where the sewage goes? There’s no room between here and the sea for a treatment plant. There’s pretty big apartment complexes and hotels that would need enormous septic tanks. How does it work?
Wouldn’t pumps be used?
Thanks for the question, we shall all go down the rabbit hole together, hahahaha
Still looking… talks about gravity at 4min mark…
Practical Engineering - How Swewes Work (feat. Fake Poop): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpHOkHxpTvQ
Still looking:
Practical Engineering - How Do We Pump Sewage?
It may go to Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant?
Not sure though…
https://www.sandiego.gov/public-utilities/customer-service/water-wastewater-facilities/point-loma https://www.sandiego.gov/public-utilities/customer-service/water-wastewater-facilities
Looking at the map, Municiple pipelines running through La Jolla.
Source: Metro Wastwater Joint Powers Authority
Detailed map of area: https://www.metrojpa.org/home/showdocument?id=677
Area map: https://www.metrojpa.org/facilities/system-map
Checking a bit more…
Edit: Nevermind, does not show up as part of the Metro JPA. "The JPA member agencies are the cities of Chula Vista, Coronado, Del Mar, El Cajon, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, National City and Poway; the Lemon Grove Sanitation District; the Padre Dam Municipal and Otay Water Districts; and the County of San Diego (on behalf of the Winter Gardens Sewer Maintenance District, and the Alpine, Lakeside and Spring Valley Sanitation Districts).
Col history of the wastewater problems in the area, If you read more they moved to Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant. I assumed that La Jolla continued to send wastewater like the other cities did with pumps and pipelines. The post above has a map of the lines.
“Responding to a growing tourism industry in the 1920s, the City began installing settling tanks along the coast to capture solids in the raw sewage while allowing the liquid to flow into the ocean. Settling tanks were installed in Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla and Downtown. Much of the sewage, however, continued to be discharged into San Diego Bay without any treatment.”
“In 1975, the City completed upgrades at the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant (shown at right, current), expanding capacity to 132 million gallons of sewage per day. By that time, the plant had already reached its maximum capacity of 88 million gallons per day. The upgrades were completed with federal funding secured by the City a few years before. The capacity of the plant was expanded again in 1982, to 176 million gallons per day, and once more in 1987, to 240 million gallons per day. Today, the plant has the capacity to treat up to 240 million gallons of sewage per day to advanced primary levels, and is receiving an average of 175 million gallons per day.”
Source from 07 January 2007: https://www.metrojpa.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=737 **
Found more info on a project called Pipeline Rehabilitation Y-1.
"Project Background
The City of San Diego has more 3,000 miles of wastewater pipelines that help dispose of sewage for more than 2 million residents of San Diego County. Some pipelines are more than 100 years old, are deteriorating, and are in need of replacement, repair and upgrades. To avoid future service disruptions, such as sewer main stoppages and spills, the aging pipelines are replaced or rehabilitated. The new pipelines will bring the existing sewer mains up to modern standards, accommodate community growth and reduce maintenance requirements. Project Overview
The project is located in Council District 1 within the La Jolla and University City community areas. The project will rehabilitate 41,846 linear feet (7.93 miles) of existing 8-inch and 10-inch sewer mains within the City’s right of way. The project will also:
Connect laterals to the rehabilitated mains; Install cleanouts; Rehabilitate or replace manholes; Conduct spot repairs to existing sewer mains, which will require some excavation; Install or replace curb ramp where required; Resurface streets impacted streets; And restore disturbed areas to their original condition."https://www.sandiego.gov/cip/projectinfo/featuredprojects/pipelinerehaby1
Random cool thing I found was that Point La Jolla has a seasonal closure due to sea lion pupping season, which takes place between May and October. https://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/point-lajolla**___**
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As a sewing machine operator I was quite confused with your question for longer than I care to admit.
a lot of the time, nothing is done – it’s just dumped straight into the ocean
Giant pumps.
“Watewster pump stations” being the industry term.
I’m no expert but I wonder if where there’s limited space for traditional sewage treatment plants, wastewater is just transported through a network of sewer lines to centralized treatment facilities? 🤔
This would allow the treatment plants to be located further inland.
Alternaively I guess they could employ on-site treatment technologies that can be incorporated into the building’s infrastructure 🤔
But like I said I ain’t no expert and just speculating 😅
In most seaside towns, sewage is taken directly to the sea, through a long pipe
Shit, soap, anything anybody dump in his toilets and sink is going in the sea without treatment?
Greaaaat…
They’re spewing shit into the sea? I would’ve thought it would be treated first.
May be treated a little bit, but it almost raw shit
Don’t have the link handy, but there’s a video out there about Chicagos approach to this and it’s absolutely nuts. The amount of infrastructure they’ve put in place, and sewage still ends up in the lake.
Not at all the video you’re referring to (probably), but my first thought was this wonderful gem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJDbwUka0JM&pp=ygUMcXhpciBjaGljYWdv
