Mayor Lurie Cuts Ribbon on Modernized Wastewater Treatment Plant in Bayview

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today announced the completion of the first major project as part of an upgrade to San Francisco’s oldest and largest wastewater treatment plant in partnership with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC). The Headworks Facility is the first stop for 80% of San Francisco’s wastewater and will operate with greater efficiency, protecting other critical treatment systems on site and significantly reduce odors for the Bayview neighborhood.

The new Headworks Facility is the latest in Mayor Lurie’s work to support the Bayview community. Yesterday, the mayor celebrated the opening of a new outdoor childcare facility in the Bayview, and last week, he cut the ribbon on a new affordable housing development located in the heart of the Hunters Point Shipyard. The mayor recently broke ground on the final phase of India Basin Park, which will combine two waterfront spaces into one ten-acre park in Bayview-Hunters Point that will add a new beach, boathouse, courts, playgrounds and unite the Bayview community.

“Critical pieces of infrastructure like our treatment plants keep our city running and help us deliver the high-quality services that San Franciscans deserve,” said Mayor Lurie. “This investment in our city’s future is delivering real results—from jobs for local residents to vibrant neighborhood art to a stronger wastewater system that will serve San Francisco for years to come.”

“By rebuilding this facility, we’re investing in San Francisco’s future,” said SFPUC General Manager Dennis Herrera. “Treating wastewater is one of the most vital things we do to protect public health. It prevents the spread of disease and keeps our communities and waterways clean. This facility is where that starts. It’s now resilient, sustainable, and more efficient. Its long-term reliability reduces maintenance costs, saving ratepayer dollars. And this investment benefits the community through local jobs and opportunities for small business.”

“This Headworks project ensures that wastewater is treated and protects the bay. It also addresses the odor that has been plaguing our community for decades and is more efficient than the previous facility,” said District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton. “This project also provided many jobs and contracts for people and businesses in the community. The facility upgrades were long overdue and also served as the catalyst for the new Southeast Community Center.”

The project supported jobs and investment in the community, with $106 million in project contracts going to local businesses and 615 San Francisco residents working more than 414,000 craft hours on the project, accounting for 33% of total hours—exceeding local hiring requirements and earning $34 million in wages and benefits.

On average, the new Headworks Facility treats about 45 million gallons of wastewater per day, enough to fill 68 Olympic-sized swimming pools. During storms, it can handle flows that surge to more than five and a half times the normal amount—as much as 250 million gallons per day.

The project also includes improvements to the Bruce Flynn WetWeather Pump Station, enabling it to operate year-round and ensure the system continues to protect public health and San Francisco Bay. San Francisco, like many large cities that were established before the 1900s, operates a combined sewer system, which collects and treats both wastewater and stormwater—removing trash, grit, and other pollutants from enormous volumes of stormwater rather than allowing it to flow untreated into the bay or ocean.

Key features of the new $717 million Headworks Facility include:

• Removal of grit with 95% efficiency—a 45% improvement over the previous system
• Significant reduction in odors with new advanced odor technology
• Built to withstand a magnitude 7.8 earthquake
• Built to withstand 36 inches of sea level rise
• Replacement of two outdated headworks operations with a single facility
• Improved long-term reliability and a reduction in maintenance costs, saving money
• The Whorl Whirl: Our Circular Nature by artist Norie Sato, which stretches 335 feet long and 35 feet high, celebrating water’s connection to nature and running along the facility’s north side on Evans Avenue between Rankin Street and Quint Street

The project received the Water Environment Federation’s 2025 Project Excellence Award, recognizing the headworks project as one of the country’s leading wastewater upgrades, and earned the Envision Gold Award from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure in 2019, the first city project to receive this recognition.

The Whorl Whirl artwork was made possible through San Francisco’s Art Enrichment Ordinance, which ensures that 2% of above-ground construction costs for projects like headworks are allocated for public art.

“The San Francisco Arts Commission is proud to have worked with the SFPUC to bring Norie Sato’s vision and sculpture to life, integrating this major permanent public artwork into the new Headworks Facility at the Southeast Treatment Plant,” said Ralph Remington, San Francisco Arts Commission Director of Cultural Affairs. “Celebrating water’s connection to nature and important role in our daily lives, Whorl Whirl: Our Circular Nature serves a striking new gateway for the Bayview community. We thank the SFPUC for their continued partnership with the Arts Commission and artists to incorporate beautiful and meaningful works of art into the urban environment.”

The new Headworks Facility was designed by Carollo Engineers of Walnut Creek and built through a joint venture between Sundt Construction and Walsh Construction. Including the headworks project, SFPUC is investing more than $5 billion in critical upgrades at the Southeast Treatment Plant, such as the Biosolids Digester Facilities project; new operations, engineering, and maintenance buildings; and a nutrient reduction project.

To support the agency’s commitment to ratepayer affordability, SFPUC secured more than $500 million in low-interest state and federal loans for the headworks project, covering 75% of the cost. The SFPUC also has secured low-cost state and federal funding for the other projects at the Southeast Treatment Plant. These low-interest loans and grants reduce the cost of financing these projects.

“We are proud to have partnered with the SFPUC to help San Francisco upgrade its largest wastewater plant to withstand climate threats, protecting both public health and the San Francisco Bay,” said E. Joaquin Esquivel, California State Water Resources Control Board Chair. “Together with the federal government, the state provided low-interest loans that covered 75% of the project’s total cost and are saving ratepayers millions of dollars in interest over time. Keeping critical projects like this one affordable through state and federal investment is key to sustaining the momentum we’re seeing throughout California toward a more secure water future through improved and expanded water and wastewater infrastructure.”

Download B-Roll Footage of Headworks provided by SFPUC.