Century of Accomplishments: Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts

AAEES President Wendy A. Wert, BCEE will walk you through a "Century of Accomplishments" in 40 minutes. The Sanitation Districts were founded in 1923 to collect and treat wastewater (sewage) on a regional level. As Los Angeles County has grown, the agency has become one of the largest wastewater and solid waste management agencies in the world. Today, the agency serves 5.5 million people in 78 cities and unincorporated portions of Los Angeles County. The Sanitation Districts have a long history of innovation, including: • Converting biogas from wastewater treatment into enough energy to power its largest wastewater treatment plant beginning in 1938. • Starting the nation's first wastewater recycling plant specifically designed for replenishing groundwater in 1962. • Developing one of the largest water recycling programs in the world and producing over 1.2 trillion gallons of water over the past 60 years. • Building power plants that convert biogas from decomposing trash into enough green energy for 80,000 people.