Every drop of water we use ends up in San Francisco Bay, and it’s the job of the Regional Water Quality Control Plant to make sure it’s treated to remove pollutants before it gets there.
The Regional Water Quality Control Plant is owned and operated by the City of Palo Alto for the communities of Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Stanford University and the East Palo Alto Sanitary District. The Plant is an advanced treatment facility that uses gravity settling, biological treatment with microorganisms and dual media filtration to remove unwanted organic materials and toxins from the approximately 22 million gallons a day of wastewater generated by the service area’s 220,000 residents. The Plant’s treated effluent meets all of the stringent requirements for discharge to the sensitive South San Francisco Bay.
To contact the Watershed Protection Group and for questions regarding grease traps and restaurants, discharging wastewater, medicine disposal and our schools program call 650.329.2122.
Let Us Hear From You! We appreciate receiving comments and suggestions from the community. Please call us at 650.329.2598 if you have questions or a suggestion to help us improve our services.
Regional Water Quality Control Plant 2501 Embarcadero Way Palo Alto, CA 94303
Clean Bay Pollution Prevention Plan 2016 The Clean Bay Pollution Prevention Plan report is an annual summary of the Palo Alto's Regional Water Quality Control Plants efforts on reducing pollution from entering local creeks and the San Francisco Bay. [more]
Pools, Spas and Fountains The water from your pool, spa or fountain contains contaminants that can harm our creeks and bay. If you must drain your pool, spa or fountain, learn how to do it without harming the environment. [more]
Energy/Compost Feasibility Study On April 5, 2010 the Palo Alto City Council directed staff to hire a consultant to conduct a Feasibility Study for a dry anaerobic digestion facility on the southeast side of Palo Alto's wastewater treatment plant ("Plant"). (See "April 5, 2010 City Council Meeting Results." ) [more]
Water Quality Treatment Plant Tours Tours of the Palo Alto Wastewater Plant are a popular educational tool used by schools, youth groups, and businesses. Visit the newly landscaped Plant grounds and then enjoy the beautiful enhanced bike path along Embarcadero Road. [more]
Wastewater Long Range Facilities Planning Information about the Wastewater Long Range Facilities Plan, including goals, meetings, maps and policies is located here. Extensive public outreach and notification was given throughout the process. [more]
Palo Altans Protecting the Planet---2013 Update Celebrate the Earth all the time! See the community's progress on our Climate Protection Plan and find links to events, programs and services you can take advantage of now! [more]
Agreements between the RWQCP partners allocate the plant's hydraulic capacity to the partner cities and agencies. View charts comparing the 2009 partner flow rates with annual average and dry weather flow allocations.
Charges for the RWQCP partners are based on wastewater flow and ammonia, chemical oxygen demand, and suspended solids concentrations. View charts of trunkline and influent data from 1995 through 2009.
Revision Date: 5/3/2010
Public Works 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto,, CA 94301 T. 650-329-2151
