Environmental Management System

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OVERVIEW

LA Sanitation (LASAN) is responsible for the collection, treatment, and disposal of wastewater and its by-products. LASAN operates four wastewater treatment facilities (Hyperion, Terminal Island, Donald C. Tillman, and Los Angeles Glendale) within a 600 square mile area. Managing 344 million gallons of wastewater producced daily by more than four million residents, LA Sanitation processes, recycles, and renews 126 billion gallons of wastewater annually into 31 billion gallons of recycled water for beneficial water conservation purposes and manages the more than 257 thousand tons of biosolids as a treated valuable commodity. Biosolids are the nutrient-rich organic product of wastewater treatment. during treatment, bacteria and other tiny organisms break sewage down into simpler, harmless organic matter, which contains essential plant nutrients. LASAN's biosolids, used in growing animal feed as a safe alternative to chemical fertilizer and animal manure, is now considered a potential renewable source of clean energy.  

The Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant (HWRP) and Terminal Island Water Reclamation Plant (TIWRP) are responsible for producing approximately 673 and 33 wet tons of Exceptional Quality biosolids per day, respectively. Exceptional Quality biosolids meet the most stringent standards and are treated to above Class A levels, which contain little or no pathogens. Class A biosolids are found in fertilizer sold in home improvement stores and are safe to touch and use in home gardens. LA Sanitation's Class A biosolids are used as a soil amendment and fertilizer to grow non-food corps an dare used to produce a compost that is sold to local landscape companies and used on City-owned property as an amendment.

EMS MANUAL

In order to successfully implement a Biosolids Environmental Management System (EMS), LA Sanitation developed a plan and manual of procedures that are used to maintain the system. In 2002, the EMS manual was approved by the Mayor and City Council. The manual is reviewed at least annually and revised as necessary to maintain a functional Biosolids Management Program and a healthy system. To ensure that LASAN's Biosolids EMS is healthy, audits are preformed periodically. More information regarding audits can be found here.

LASAN's Biosolids Management Team also reviews the system, discusses the effectiveness of the program, and recommends continual improvement changes. For more information view the brochure or contact us. Brochures and fact sheets for the program can be found below.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Each year, LA Sanitation establishes goals and objectives focusing on continual improvements and environmental performance. LASAN invites you to participate in our goals and objectives setting process. If you have any goal or objective in mind that you want LASAN to consider, please contact us using the email address and phone number given below. We value your input and would like to hear from you.

FROM OCEAN DISPOSAL TO BENEFICIAL USE

From 1957 to 1987, biosolids produced by LA Sanitation at HWRP were disposed of in the ocean. Between 1987 and 1989, biosolids were disposed of in landfills. Beginning in 1989, LASAN started an extensive beneficial reuse program and has continued to beneficially reuse all the biosolids produced at HWRP and TIWRP since that time.

The tables and charts below detail the background of LASAN's biosolids management program and the success we have had in implementing a cost-effective and environmentally sound program.

To guide LA Sanitation's Biosolids Management Program, LASAN adopted a policy. The Biosolids Policy commits LASAN to managing the biosolids in a cost-effective, environmentally sound, and socially acceptable manner. The policy outlines the program goals and based on the goals, objectives are set each year to help meet and/or maintain the goals and improve the Biosolids Management Program. Once the objectives are set they are tracked and monitored by LA Sanitation. At the end of each fiscal year, LA Sanitation reviews the program goals and objectives and identifies the outcomes achieved. To view current year objectives see below.
Downloads

FAQs

Q: Does LA Sanitation compost contain biosolids?
A:

LASAN compost contains either manure or Hyperion biosolids depending on where the compost is made. Compost from Griffith Park contains biosolids. Compost from Lopez Canyon does not contain biosolids, only manure. More about Compost

Q: What is the difference between compost and mulch?
A:

Unlike compost, mulch does not contain manure or biosolids. More about Mulch

Q: How does LA Sanitation test the compost made?
A:

LA Sanitation tests samples of compost for heavy metals and fecal coliform bacteria at the Environmental Monitoring Division labs in Playa Del Rey.

Q: What does LA Sanitation do to ensure garbage does not pollute our groundwater, and how often are the landfills tested for pollutants?
A:

LA Sanitation monitors the pollutant levels in groundwater sampled from wells at each landfill semi-annually (see table above). Groundwater testing includes analyses of heavy metals, volatile organics, semivolatile organics (such as dioxin, herbicides, and pesticides), and conventional tests, such as total dissolved, solids, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, total organic halogens, ammonia, chloride, nitrate, sulfate, conductivity, and pH. More about Landfills