In late June, sections of the tunnel boring machine (TBM) were lowered to the bottom of the 100-foot access shaft located at the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP). Over the following weeks, the front of the TBM was then assembled and inserted into the starter tunnel. The TBM is expected to begin tunneling in September after testing is completed. Meanwhile, equipment is being installed along Gaffey Street to closely monitor the ground during tunneling.

The Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) is the hub of the main sewer system that serves over 5 million people in the southern half of Los Angeles County. Since 1928, this plant has operated continuously without failure and currently treats about 250 million gallons of sewage every day. The JWPCP discharges cleaned water to the ocean through two tunnels that were built more than 60 and 80 years ago. Consistent with our mission to protect public health and the environment, we are proactively building the new Clearwater tunnel to ensure the continued reliability of the JWPCP and avoid any sewage discharge to the community or nearby waterbodies.

To learn about how our custom-built TBM works, click on the image below.

For many years, we have invited schools and community groups to visit our wastewater treatment plants and solid waste management facilities to learn about what we do. Since the start of the pandemic, we have been offering virtual tours of these facilities. We also offer schools virtual presentations about environmental stewardship. To request a virtual tour, please click on the request a presentation button below. To see our past virtual tours, visit our YouTube channel.