Waste Water Treatment Plant

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4375 E. Mesquite Avenue Palm Springs, CA 92264

Sanitary Sewer Emergencies 760-323-8166, Dial "0" FAX 760-325-5747

Doug Loar 760-459-6395 - Plant Manager
Ken Huntzinger 760-459-6394 - Asst. Plant Manager
After-Hours Sewer Emergency - 760-272-6127

Under contract with the City, Veolia North America operates the plant's daily operations. The Waste Water Treatment Plant is responsible for removing contaminants from sewage waste water. These contaminants include physical, chemical and biological materials. The goal is to remove the contaminants and produce a waste water stream, called a treated effluent, which is suitable to be released back into the environment.

Sewage comes from various types of structures such as residences, institutions, hospitals and commercial and industrial establishments. In Palm Springs, it is collected and transported via a network of pipes and pump stations to the treatment plant. The City treats the sewage and sends approximately 75% of the treated sewage annually to Desert Water Agency (DWA) for further filtration and disinfection. Once treated to all state and federal recycled water standards, DWA delivers the recycled water for irrigation of the City's municipal golf courses, nearby Demuth Park, Palm Springs High School and other locations. The remaining 25% of treated sewage flows into lagoons called percolation ponds where it seeps into the ground to recharge groundwater.

Unlike most urban areas, the flood water and street runoff is not collected by the sewage infrastructure. Run off water is collected by a separate storm water system and nuisance water drains. It is transported to retention basins and flood control channels. Since these basins and channels are open bottom, the runoff is allowed to percolate into the groundwater table. The flood control system is maintained by the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District.

Some intersections are equipped with down and under drains that take daily nuisance water under ground on one side of an intersection and allow it to resurface on the other side of the intersection. The Waste Water Treatment Plant inspects and cleans the down and under nuisance water drains on a set schedule.