Los Angeles agrees to pay $20.8 million to fix issues at the Hyperion

Los Angeles has agreed to pay $20.8 million to fix issues at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant after its 2021 discharge of 12.5 million gallons of wastewater into Santa Monica Bay, the United States Attorney’s office announced on Tuesday, Aug. 20.

In July 2021, Los Angeles’ oldest and largest wastewater treatment facility was overwhelmed and experienced a nearly catastrophic sewage spill, setting off a series of investigations and mitigation measures, including a criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s office, while residents of adjacent El Segundo dealt with a putrid stench for years. LA’s agreement to fund projects at Hyperion, as well as environmental reviews, is an attempt to resolve the criminal investigation, according to a press release.

“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,” U. S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in the press release.

The work at Hyperion will include:

• Improvements to bar screens, sensors and alarms – many of which failed in July 2021 – that alert technicians to problems.
• Two additional water quality testing sites between Dockweiler Beach and King Harbor.
• Completing a rapid bacteria testing study and receiving accreditation for it from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Retaining a third-party auditor to ensure compliance with the Clean Water Act.
• A one-year community outreach project to develop an emergency communication plan.

In the three years since the spill, residents in El Segundo have complained that odors are still wafting through their neighborhoods, with the South Coast Air Quality Management District requiring fixes.

Resident groups have brought lawsuits against Hyperion and its overseeing agency, Los Angeles Sanitation & Environmen. And El Segundo has called for a leadership change.

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