ABOUT US

The Wastewater Engineering Services Division (WESD) provides quality wastewater related planning and engineering services in a responsive and cost effective manner while maintaining close partnership with our valued stakeholders and customers.

WESD conducts long range planning of our wastewater collection and treatment systems, ensuring that the future needs are identified and come on-line in an efficient and cost effective manner. One of the major activities is the development and the implementation of an Integrated Resources Plan (IRP), which addresses the City’s needs for wastewater, stormwater and recycled water over the next 20 years in an integrated manner with focus on maximizing beneficial reuse.

WESD provides engineering, operations support, and planning for the collection system. This includes implementing a 20-year plan for systematically identifying and addressing the deficiencies and needs, both current and future, for the sewer system including sewer condition assessment, flow projections, hydraulic modeling, and preparation of master plans and concept reports.

WESD manages implementation, compliance and coordination of the Collection System Settlement Agreement. A comprehensive program of cleaning, upgrading and repair of its sewer system will benefit the entire City and neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles and marks an historic collaboration between the City, environmental advocates, community groups, the state and federal governments.
WESD provides sewer odor control master planning and coordination to proactively and systematically identify and address potential sewer odor problems. It also supports odor control efforts through the collaborative partnership with the stakeholders as part of the Odor Advisory Board.
WESD provides public outreach activities to the community with focus on the Integrated Resources Plan (IRP), the residential fats, oils and grease (FOG) control program, the sewer odor control program and the Collection System Settlement Agreement.

WESD manages and coordinates the Bureau facilities’ compliance, training and reporting associated with the General Industrial Stormwater Permit (GISP), the Municipal Stormwater Permit and the required municipal facilities’ Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans. In addition, WESD leads the implementation of the MOU with the RWQCB for the effective management and operation of the privately owned onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) (a.k.a. septic tanks).

WESD participates in benchmarking efforts mainly in the area of the collection system and participates in local, state and national professional organizations to provide recognition to our programs and to receive information on new advances that can forward our mission. It also trains, prepares and develops staff through providing ongoing professional, technical, developmental and safety training.