San Francisco’s wastewater treatment plant sits directly opposite the city’s most popular surf break, but the doctored water doesn’t end up there. Nowhere close, in fact. The effluent is discharged from a pipe four miles offshore and 90 feet down – in other words, a fish’s problem, but not yours, unless of course you eat fish.
Our guide Catania led us hard-hatted curiosity-seekers to a little trapdoor in the floor, where we could see the water flowing out of the plant toward the deep blue ocean. Doesn’t look too pure to me. I took a video. Judge for yourself.
A bit of a correction Dave. The manager that did the drinking wasn’t at this plant since they only go to the second phase of treatment. I think it was at the plant in San Jose where they treat the water to a third level of cleanliness.
-steve