Media Advisory: San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility Digested Sludge Dewatering Facility Ribbon Cutting

Construction for the Dewatering Facility, a $177 million total project investment, began in September 2022 and represents a significant step in modernizing the Regional Wastewater Facility's (RWF) biosolids management process by diversifying the use of biosolids, reducing potential odors and opening up 750 acres of lagoons and drying beds for other land use.

The RWF, located in Alviso, is jointly owned by the Cities of San José and Santa Clara, with the City of San José serving as the administering agency of the RWF.

The RWF treats an average of 110 million gallons of wastewater per day, producing wastewater that is 99% purified and then discharged into South San Francisco Bay. It serves approximately 1.5 million residents and more than 17,000 commercial and industrial customers across eight South Bay cities. The RWF monitors the health of aquatic ecosystems; and ensures that its treated wastewater meets strict standards and can benefit wildlife.

The RWF Capital Improvement Plan, begun in 2014, is a 30-year, $2 billion roadmap to rebuild the RWF infrastructure worn from nonstop service since 1956, and updating treatment processes with new technologies.