Construction at the Southeast Treatment Plant

Built in 1952, the Southeast Treatment Plant is the City’s largest wastewater treatment facility, handling nearly 80% of San Francisco's combined stormwater and wastewater every year. However, many of its facilities are past their useful life and generate odors that impact the neighborhood.

The SFPUC is currently investing over $3 billion in critical upgrades to transform this facility into a modern resource recovery center. By doing so, we will continue to protect our communities and environment while creating an attractive workplace and neighborhood asset that serves the entire City for decades to come.

As we continue to make progress with our infrastructure investments, we are proud to be providing jobs and contracting opportunities to local residents and businesses. When complete, the plant will work better, look better, and smell better for the neighborhood, our staff, and the entire City!

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES (Late 2025)

Construction to Begin in Late 2025 on New Operations, Engineering, and Maintenance Buildings at the Corner of Phelps Street and Jerrold Avenue

In late 2025, construction will start on two new buildings that will provide much-needed shop space for maintenance and trade crews as well as workspaces and facilities for operation, engineering, and maintenance staff. The buildings will also be the SFPUC and City of San Francisco's first Mass Timber buildings. Construction is expected to last roughly two years. These critical upgrades are part of where your ratepayer dollars go to ensure our system continues to protect public health and the environment. 

While the contractor is required to abide by the City's noise and vibration ordinances, neighbors should expect some noise and limited dust during this work. The project team will work to minimize disruption to normal neighborhood activity. 

Learn more about the New Operations, Engineering, and Maintenance Buildings Project online at sfpuc.gov/sepbuildings.

New Digester Painting Complete

Aesthetic upgrades to five new digesters at the Southeast Treatment Plant are now complete! As part of the Biosolids Digester Facilities Project, crews finished painting the exterior of each 60-foot digester in a vibrant pattern of muted blues and greens designed to evoke the wastewater cleaning process. The colorful transformation began in late July and was completed in Fall 2025.

Learn more about the Biosolids Digesters Facilities Project online at sfpuc.gov/digesters.

Biosolids' Biogas Utilization Project

The Biogas Utilization Project is a key component of the Biosolids Digester Facilities Project, designed to transform how biogas—a byproduct of wastewater treatment—is managed and reused. Instead of using biogas for on-site energy generation as originally planned, the SFPUC will upgrade it to pipeline quality renewable natural gas for injection into PG&E’s natural gas pipeline.

Construction of this project began in late 2025 and is anticipated to be complete by early 2027.

Demolition of Old Headworks Building Complete

In November 2025, crews finished the demolition of the old headworks building on the northwest side of the Southeast Treatment Plant. With successful completion and activation of the new 250 MGD headworks that began operations in Summer 2024, this older facility was obsolete. Demolition of this decommissioned facility has been ongoing since summer and is still expected to be completed in late Fall 2025.

Learn more about the New Headworks Project, including impacts expected during demolition at sfpuc.gov/headworks. 

Questions? Contact our team by calling our hotline at (415) 551-4SEP (4737) or email ssip@sfwater.org.