What could the new odor reduction system mean for San Jose's city council?
The new wastewater facility demonstrates city council's oversight of major infrastructure This facility uses centrifuges and an odor control system to process biosolids, allowing the city to reduce odors near Alviso and Milpitas. Furthermore, the project allows for the decommissioning of 500 acres of drying beds, which City Councilmember David Cohen noted offers an opportunity to convert the land back to open space along the bay.
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How it reaches city council
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San Jose completed a $177 million dewatering facility at the San Jose-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility off Zanker Road. This facility uses centrifuges and an odor control system to process digested sludge. The process allows biosolids to be made ready for use as compost or fertilizer in a day, replacing a process that previously took up to four years in open-air lagoons.
The full event1independent outlet -
The facility is part of a larger $1.2 billion investment by San Jose’s Environmental Services Department, which has completed 31 projects in the past decade. The city council is the governing body responsible for approving and managing such large-scale capital expenditures and subsequent land use changes, such as converting 500 acres of drying beds back to open space.
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- eastbaytimes.com Saturday
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The facts so far
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- The dewatering facility cost $177 million and uses centrifuges and an odor control system.eastbaytimes.com
- The facility treats an average of 110 million gallons per day and serves about 1.5 million residents.eastbaytimes.com
- San Jose’s Environmental Services Department has invested about $1.2 billion and completed 31 projects.eastbaytimes.com
- Decommissioning the drying beds offers a chance to convert 500 acres back to open space.eastbaytimes.com
Why it matters
The successful completion of this massive infrastructure project demonstrates the city council's capacity to manage complex, multi-million dollar environmental and public health initiatives. By approving and overseeing this $177 million facility, the council is directly enabling a cleaner process for the communities closest to the plant and protecting the bay.
This project is part of a larger, decade-long commitment by San Jose to upgrade its aging infrastructure, which has been operating since 1956. The investment of $1.2 billion across 31 projects shows the scale of the city's commitment to long-term environmental reliability and modernization.
What we don't know yet
- What specific regulatory changes will accompany the conversion of the 500 acres of drying beds back to open space?
- How will the city council ensure the long-term maintenance and operational funding for the new odor control system?
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- eastbaytimes.comSaturday
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