Bayview Residents Quite Pleased That Their Sewage Treatment Plant Smells Less Terrible These Days

"But the Bayview's Southeast Treatment Plant is a far more significant sewage treatment plant, purifying a full 80% of SF's wastewater. And the place just received a $717 million upgrade that was completed in September. Part of that upgrade was a 335-foot long sculpture by artist Norie Sato, intended to make the exterior less ugly. But another aspect to the upgrade was the addition of new equipment to significantly reduce odors for the Bayview neighborhood."

"Now four months after the upgrade was completed, Mission Local reports that Bayview residents do feel that the wastewater treatment plant smells substantially less awful. Or rather, it's an improvement, but not necessarily a complete elimination of the foul smells. It's not smelly all the time, Alijah Mestayer-Orollo, who works in the neighborhood, told Mission Local. But there's definitely a couple days in a row where it's still hella smelly."

The Southeast Treatment Plant in San Francisco's Bayview handles about 80% of the city's wastewater, processing roughly 45 million gallons daily and up to 250 million gallons during storms. The plant, built in 1952, received a $717 million upgrade completed in September that added odor-reduction equipment and a 335-foot sculpture by Norie Sato to improve the exterior. Bayview residents report noticeable reductions in foul odors four months after completion, though occasional multi-day odor events still occur. Odor mitigation was not prioritized when the plant was built; the new equipment aims to provide substantial relief given the facility's large volumes.

Read at sfist.com