| Facilities The Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) has two operating facilities that treat wastewater from residential, commercial and industrial sources in central and northwest Orange County, California.
General Information 471 square miles in service area
21 cities, 3 special districts 2.5 million residents 581 miles of sewer lines, 16 off-site pumping stations 644 full time authorized staff OCSD releases treated water into the ocean through a 120-inch diameter offshore pipeline that extends five miles from shore to the discharge point approximately 200 feet below the ocean surface. An emergency standby 78-inch diameter pipeline stretches one mile from shore. The one-mile-long diffuser section of our five-mile ocean pipeline contains 503 portholes through which treated wastewater is slowly released. An abundance of marine life has taken up residence along both pipelines.
Water Reclamation OCSD also reclaims up to 10 million gallons of treated wastewater every day, which is sent for further processing to the Orange County Water District and then used for landscape irrigation and for injection into the groundwater seawater intrusion barrier.
In 2007, the Orange County Sanitation District Orange and our partners, theOrange County Water District will launch the Ground Water Replenishment System (GWR System). The project will purify highly-treated wastewater that is now released to the ocean. Using advanced water treatment facilities, water will be purified through microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet disinfection to levels that far exceed drinking water standards. The water will be released into the Orange County Groundwater Basin either by injection along the coast to protect the basin from seawater intrusion or by percolation in ponds in Anaheim. As a result, Orange County will have quality, reliable, local water supply to use for groundwater replenishment, groundwater protection from seawater intrusion, industrial uses and landscape irrigation. Reuse will help drought-proof Orange County.
Budget & Rate Information
The Orange County Sanitation District's budget reflects the agency's ongoing efforts to streamline operations. The goal of OCSD is to provide wastewater treatment as efficiently and effectively as possible. Current budget: $456 million Annual single family sewer fee: $182 Average Connection fee: $4,517 for a single family residence Budget Information
Biosolids Recycling Biosolids are nutrient rich organic and highly treated solid materials produced by the wastewater treatment process. This high-quality product can be recycled as a soil amendment on farm land or further processed as a earth-like product for commercial and home gardens to improve and maintain fertile soil and stimulate plant growth.
The Orange County Sanitation District’s biosolids policy is to strive to recycle its biosolids using sustainable options while protecting public health and the environment. We produce approximately 650 tons per day or 237,250 tons per year.
Biosolids Program
Energy Production  OCSD generates a daily average of 14,000 kilowatts of energy from burning natural gas and methane gas (biogas), which is a byproduct of the wastewater treatment process. That is enough power to supply the needs of a city the size of Brea or Cypress. We use this power to run our central generation power plants. This year, OCSD saved $8.3 million in power costs that would otherwise have to be purchased from Southern California Edison.
Ocean Monitoring To ensure that the marine environment and public health are protected, the Orange County Sanitation District has maintained an extensive ocean monitoring program for over 25 years.  Our award-winning ocean monitoring program monitors and evaluates water quality, sediment quality and sea life from Seal Beach to Corona Del Mar.
The results of this testing is gathered together each year in an annual report. The report is provided to regulators, the scientific community and the public through a published report, on the district website and through a series of public workshops.
The ocean monitoring program is overseen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX and the Regional Water Quality Control Board, Santa Ana Region. Ocean Monitoring Program |
