'Super' El Nio could overwhelm L.A.s aging Hyperion sewage treatment plant

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Set us as preferred On the shores of Playa del Rey sits L.A.’s last line of defense against sewage streaming into the Santa Monica Bay — and a jacked El Niño this winter threatens to be more than a match for it.Built in 1950, the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant handles roughly 95% of the city’s sewage on any given day — up to 800 million gallons of effluent from toilets, washing machines, sinks, industrial operations and more.Storms can overwhelm the aging facility, which suffered an equipment breakdown in 2021 that led to 17 million gallons of raw sewage gushing into the Santa Monica Bay.Los Angeles officials are bracing for more trouble if the forecast “super” El Niño brings heavy rains and flooding.

“We have done our best; a great job of maintaining it” said Joone Kim-Lopez, general manager of the Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment, or LASAN, told the L.A.City Council recently.

“But as with anything, this infrastructure needs attention.”L.A.’s stormwater and wastewater systems are separate, but when it rains, water seeps into the ground and can sneak into the cracks of aging wastewater pipes, said Tracy Quinn, chief executive of environmental group Heal the Bay.This is how underground pipes can burst during heavy rains — or worse, how large wastewater plants like Hyperion can be overloaded and potentially spill into the ocean or back up sewage into homes and businesses, Quinn said.Hyperion’s operators takes the risk of heavy rainfall seriously, and adds extra staff when extreme weather is forecast, according to Tonya Shelton, public information officer for LASAN.In addition, each year between April and October crews are testing generators, redundancy systems and other equipment to prepare for the worst, Shelton said.

“Ahead of the upcoming rainy season, LASAN is actively working to safeg...