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 $5 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!

Winter 2025-2026 Southeast Treatment Plant Construction Newsletter

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CONSTRUCTION UPDATES (Spring 2026)

Night Work at the Southeast Treatment Plan and Daytime Traffic Impacts on Phelps Street

Some night work is anticipated from late April through June at the Southeast Treatment Plant for PG&E to install a new gas pipeline. Work hours are 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night. Work will occur within the Southeast Treatment Plan on Jerrold Avenue between Rankin Street and Quint Street.

Additionally, utility work will be performed near the intersection of Jerrold Avenue and Phelps Street from early May through late May during the week from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Traffic control will be in place to accommodate the work, and flaggers will be present to safely direct motorists through the work area. Please use caution when traveling through the area.

Please note construction schedules are subject to change.

Construction Progress of the New Staff Buildings

As part of the New Engineering, Operations, and Maintenance Buildings Project at the Southeast Treatment Plant, crews will have started laying foundations near the northwest corner of Phelps Street and Jerrold Avenue in spring 2026. The new buildings will provide much needed workspace, offices, and maintenance areas for SFPUC staff at the treatment plant.

Please be careful when traveling through the area to ensure public and worker safety and pay attention to traffic and no parking signs.

Construction will continue through fall 2028. General workdays are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with occasional weekend work. For more information about the project, visit sfpuc.gov/SEPBuildings.

Construction of New Biodigesters Facilities Continues in 2026

Last year, one of the major work activities was the painting of the five enormous new digester buildings that now feature a matching color scheme meant to invoke the wastewater treatment process.

Crews were also busy installing the new state-of-the-art odor control system that will reduce odors from the new facilities. Together, these two milestones will help the SFPUC maintain its promise to the Bayview neighborhood that the new biosolids facility will look better and smell better for the surrounding community.

In 2026, workers are busy completing interior work to prepare for activation and testing of the biological process that is vital for the completion of the project. For more information about the project, visit sfpuc.gov/digesters.

Biosolids' Biogas Utilization Project

Construction of the Biogas Utilization Project began in late 2025 and is anticipated to be complete by early 2027.

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