SAN DIEGO AREA SEWERAGE HISTORY
 
...in the beginning
 
1542 Cabrillo discovers San Diego Bay.
   
1850 City of San Diego incorporated at Old Town.
   
1869 First sewers are installed in Old Town. Alonzo Horton plots New Town 6 miles to the south.
   
1885 First public sewers installed in Downtown San Diego. Coronado across the bay installs sewers for the newly constructed Hotel del Coronado.
   
1925 La Mesa, Escondido, National City, and Chula Vista now have public sewerage systems.
   
1935 San Diego is now discharging nine million gallons of raw sewage through 22 outfalls. Nine of these empty into San Diego Bay.
   
1943 The City of San Diego installs its first primary treatment plant at 32nd Street and Harbor Drive with a capacity of 14 million gallons a day (MGD).
   
1950 Original 32nd Street expanded to 40 MGD capacity. Pollution in San Diego Bay continues as numerous other cities, industries and the U.S. Navy discharge their wastes into the bay.
   
1960 Water pollution in San Diego caused by sewage worst ever seen. San Diego Bay is under a continuous quarantine and Mission Bay is heavily polluted. San Diego moves forward with approval and construction of a new, regional “Metro” system. Santee to the east is operating a state of the art reclamation plant.
   
1963 After three years of construction, Metro system is put into operation in August. The new system has 27.5 miles of interceptors, 2 main pump stations and one primary treatment plant at Point Loma with a capacity of 88 MGD. Treated wastewater is now discharged 3 miles offshore into the Pacific Ocean. Nine participating agencies connect into the Metro System for treatment of sewage (Imperial Beach, Chula Vista, National City, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, El Cajon, Montgomery, Spring Valley and the US Navy).
   
1972 Northern areas of the city (Sorrento Valley, Poway and Del Mar) connect into the Metro system with the completion of the Penesquitos Trunk Sewer. Clean Water Act is passed requiring San Diego to covert to secondary treatment by 1975.
   
1976 After studies for proposed secondary treatment and determining that primary treatment was effective, San Diego pursued a waiver for secondary treatment.
   
1984 Waiver application still in process. San Diego studies natural waste treatment and completes the “Accelerated Projects” which was an expansion and improvement of the wastewater system to compensate for increased growth. Otay Water District opens a new water reclamation plant.
   
1988 Clean Water Program established to help guide San Diego through the waiver process, secondary treatment options and subsequent lawsuits by the State and EPA.
   
1995 Lengthy court battle regarding  secondary treatment is concluded. San Diego applies for and receives a waiver for secondary treatment. Point Loma will continue to treat sewage at the advanced primary level. New reclamation plants and major system improvements being designed and constructed. Treated effluent is discharged 5 miles offshore in 350 feet below the surface.
   
1998 Over 1 billion dollars in improvements to San Diego’s system completed. North City Reclamation Plant and Metro Biosolids Center put into operation. Point Loma Treatment Plant capacity increased to 240 MGD.
   
2002 South Bay Water Reclamation Plant put into operation. Canyon sewage spills plague city and secondary treatment waiver issue resurfaces causing concern.

...San Diego today

  Today the City of San Diego’s Metro Wastewater systems provide sewerage service to over 2 million people over 550 square miles and processing a flow of about 190 million gallons a day.
   
  Collection System
  Over 2,800 miles of pipes collect sewage
84 collection system pump stations
6 major “Metro” pump stations
28 miles of interceptor pipes
15 connecting agencies (Cities and municipalities) that utilize the Metro system for sewage disposal
   
  Treatment System
  Point Loma Treatment Plant (Advanced Primary treatment) 240 MGD Capacity.
North City Water Reclamation Plant, 30 MGD
South Bay Water Reclamation Plant, 15 MGD
San Pasqual Aqua Culture Plant, 1 MGD
Metro Biosolids Center. (Biosolids/Sludge processing)
   
  Metro Operations
  Over 1000 persons are employed by the city to keep the Metro system operating.
 
 

San Diego Bay during the 1880's


The Hotel del Coronado was one of
the first hotels in San Diego to have
indoor plumbing


Chula Vista's secondary treatment plant placed
in operation during 1948
(William Wheeler)


City of San Diego's 40 MGD primary treatment
plant at 32nd Street in 1950
(Aurthur Hawley)


96-inch pipe used for the South Metro Interceptor
during construction in 1962
(City of San Diego)


Pt Loma treatment plant under construction in 1962


By 1972, San Diego was seeing tremendous
growth in all areas of the city
(City of San Diego)


Mission Bay benefited from system improvements
(City of San Diego)


A second force main addition was part of the many
upgrades to Metro Pump Station 1


Pt Loma Treatment Plant in 1998
(City of San Diego)


Metro Biosolids Center Dewatering Building


North City Water Reclamation Plant
(City of San Diego)


South Bay Water Reclamation Plant under
construction


City of San Diego Metro Wastewater System
(City of San Diego)

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