The City of Los Angeles is set to pay $20.8 million to address issues at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant, as well as complete various related environmental projects, after discharging untreated wastewater into Santa Monica Bay. Announced Tuesday, this move comes as a response to the events of July 2021, when the plant was overwhelmed by debris, causing the release of approximately 12.5 million gallons of raw sewage into coastal waters. The Hyperion facility serves over 4 million people and treats an average of 260 million gallons of wastewater daily. As reported by City News Service, the discharge resulted in water quality tests revealing excessive levels of bacteria such as total coliform, E. coli, and Enterococcus around the 5-mile Outfall.
Under the administrative order initially issued by the EPA, the City has agreed to spend no less than $20 million on improvements to the infrastructure and procedures of Hyperion to prevent a similar event from occurring again. "This agreement requires the City to take concrete steps and commit substantial funds to improving the Hyperion facility and thereby prevent a disaster like this from reoccurring," said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. The City also plans to quickly expand its water testing program and seek EPA accreditation for more rapid bacterial level tests in ocean water.
As part of the settlement, the City needs to also retain a third-party auditor to conduct annual audits of Hyperion's operations, ensuring compliance with the Clean Water Act and associated corrective actions. Ensuring accountability and safeguarding the water quality standards of the coastal ecosystem are critical moving forward. Additionally, there will be a concentrated focus on community outreach, including educating residents and schools, refining emergency communication plans, and holding meetings with local government officials and community members.
The comprehensive agreement puts forth a one-year community outreach service project to be managed in coordination with the Los Angeles Sanitation and Environmental Department and a selected nonprofit. "We in Southern California love our beaches and people in our community deserve clean waters free of contamination when they visit the beach," Estrada stressed firmly. The associated costs for additional monitoring, bacteria testing studies, and community project efforts are expected to be no less than $800,000.
This financial commitment by the City reflects a serious endeavor to rectify past missteps and to enhance the resilience of one of Los Angeles' critical environmental infrastructures. Assistant United States Attorneys Dennis Mitchell, Mark Williams, and Chief of the Criminal Division Mack Jenkins are responsible for prosecuting this case, which remains under investigation by the United States Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division. Public information on this matter has been provided by Ciaran McEvoy, Public Information Officer, through the U.S. Attorney's Office.
