The Sanitation Districts are helping to conserve California's precious water supplies for future generations by supplying high-quality treated recycled water that is suitable for a variety of non-potable uses.

The Sanitation Districts' 1,400 miles of main trunk sewers and 11 wastewater treatment plants convey and treat about 390 million gallons per day (mgd) of wastewater, of which approximately 130 mgd are available for reuse in the dry Southern California climate.

Water Recycling Process

You can learn more about the water treatment and recycling process by viewing the brochure below. The brochure is available in both English and Spanish versions and provides an overview of water recycling along with the water recycling process.

• Water Recycling Brochure (PDF - English)

Benefits of Recycling Water
This link covers some of the environmental, economical, and health benefits that result from water recycling. Learn more about the Sanitation Districts' commitment in the Beneficial Reuse Plan.

Safety of Recycled Water

Recycled Water: Putting the Risk into Perspective
The safety of recycled water was explored in-depth in a project funded by the WateReuse Research Foundation. Results of the study are provided to agencies and individuals searching for more information about recycled water safety and risk. Click the link above for electronic or hard copies of the project materials.

Frequently Asked Questions about Water Recycling
The above link provides answers to the most frequently asked questions on water recycling.

Groundwater Recharge

University of Arizona WaterSMART Project and Website
This link provides information on soil aquifer treatment (SAT) as a way to use recycled water to preserve and protect water resources today and for our future.

Groundwater Reliability Improvement Program (GRIP)
This link provides information on a groundwater recharge program, which will be a vital component to sustaining the local drinking water supplies.

Groundwater Replenishment
This link provides information about groundwater replenishment through the use of recycled water.

Pure Water Southern California (Pure Water) program
This link provides information on the joint Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Sanitation Districts’ Pure Water program.

Service Areas

Joint Outfall System

Seventeen of the Sanitation Districts that provide sewerage services in the metropolitan Los Angeles area south of the San Gabriel Mountains are signatory to a Joint Outfall Agreement that provides for operation and maintenance of a regional, interconnected system of facilities known as the Joint Outfall System (JOS).The service area of the JOS encompasses 73 cities and unincorporated territory, and includes some areas within the City of Los Angeles, Orange County and San Bernardino County.

The JOS provides wastewater collection, treatment, reuse, and disposal for residential, commercial, and industrial users, and includes the following treatment plants:

• A.K. Warren Water Resource Facility located in the City of Carson
• La Cañada WRP in the City of La Cañada Flintridge
• Long Beach WRP in the City of Long Beach
• Los Coyotes WRP in the City of Cerritos
• Pomona WRP in the City of Pomona
• San Jose Creek WRP adjacent to the City of Industry
• Whittier Narrows WRP near the City of South El MonteIMG 4832

In addition, the system includes trunk sewers and pumping stations that convey sewage from smaller local sewers to the Sanitation Districts’ treatment plants.

Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys

The Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District service area encompasses the City of Santa Clarita and unincorporated territory, and includes the Saugus and Valencia WRPs.

Sanitation Districts Nos. 14 and 20 service areas are in the Antelope Valley. Sanitation District No. 14 serves the cities of Palmdale and Lancaster, along with unincorporated territory, and operates the Lancaster WRP. Sanitation District No. 20 serves the City of Palmdale and unincorporated territory and operates the Palmdale WRP.

Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.

Acrobat Reader Windows Media Player Word Viewer Excel Viewer PowerPoint Viewer