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04/18/22 4:15pm
Planned Shutdown of Hyperion’s Headworks Odor Control System
The Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant (HWRP) is planning to shutdown its Headworks Odor Control System for 12 hours, starting at 6:00 AM on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, through 6:00 PM on that same day. This procedure is essential in making the final transition from the old odor control system to the new system. The new odor control system is replacing the existing chemical based scrubbers with more effective and efficient bio-trickling filter technology. It is anticipated that there will be some odors while this activity is underway.

The schedule and duration of this work is subject to change based on weather conditions and any unforeseen circumstances. Should this be the case, we will send an update promptly.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email the Community Outreach Team at LASAN.CleanWater.Outreach@lacity.org.


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01/7/22 1:00pm SERVICE DELAY: Bin Collection Service Delays

Due to the Omicron COVID surge and temporary staffing shortages, there may be service delays in the South LA, West LA, and West Valley District collection areas for residential blue bin service.

We are implementing our contingency plan to make sure your refuse (black) bins are picked up according to normal schedule. Our remaining drivers have committed to working additional hours to complete bin collections by 6pm, Saturday - Jan 8th.

Please leave your bins out and make sure they are accessible for collection during these delays.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience with us. If you have any questions or concerns, please call our 24-hour Customer Care Center at 1-800-773-2489


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12/7/21 5:30pm CLARIFICATION: Reimbursement Program Closed
December 30, 2021 is the last date for applicants already in our system to provide the requested documentation. This date applies ONLY to people already in processing for reimbursement. Thank you for understanding.


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12/3/21 3:15pm UPDATE: Conclusion of Reimbursement Program
Thank you for your participation in the Hyperion reimbursement program. We look forward to concluding this program by the end of the year, and finalizing all applications currently in process with pending/outstanding requested documentation.

All requested documents must be submitted by December 30, 2021. If you have not yet received your reimbursement, please take the following steps:

1. Check your email inbox and spam folders for any messages from sanhyperion@lacity.org. We may have requested additional information from you that must be supplied in order for us to finalize the processing of your claim. If you do have an information request email, please supply the necessary items/information no later than December 30, 2021.
2. If you do NOT find an email from us, you may reach out to us at sanhyperion@lacity.org with the subject line: Your name - Pending Application. Our team will be happy to research the status of your application and to verify if there is anything else needed from you to complete processing.

If you are having difficulty getting the requested information/documentation to us or have other questions, you may email sanhyperion@lacity.org OR call our 24-hour Customer Care Center at 1-800-773-2489.


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9/13/21 9:45pm UPDATE: Hyperion Reimbursement Program closing
Hyperion has completed most of its process recovery efforts, which shows clearly in the recent water and air quality data. With no water quality violations in the past four weeks, we will officially close the program on Thursday, September 23, 2021.

Closing the reimbursement program means that any AC or related units/installation must be purchased before 11:59pm on September 23, 2021 and that anyone who has relocated to a hotel will not be reimbursed for stays on or after September 24, 2021. Residents who participated in the reimbursement program will have until October 8, 2021 to submit their receipts through our secure online platform. This website serves as official written notice.

The end of the reimbursement program does not mean that we are ending our relationship with residents who have experienced impacts. On the contrary, we plan to continue close communication with all of our stakeholders - sharing investigation results, communications plans, reimbursement updates, and ongoing Hyperion activities. Thank you for your participation and patience.



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9/7/21 5:45pm UPDATE: Incident at Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant
The reimbursement program will be extended through September 16, 2021 or the morning of September 17, 2021 for hotel checkout). This website serves as official written notice. 

Additionally, we invite you to join us for the El Segundo Citizens Forum on Thursday, September 23, 2021 at 6pm. Please click the graphic below to RSVP. We look forward to seeing you!





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9/1/21 5:00pm UPDATE: Incident at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant
We have updated our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document. Please click here to view the PDF. 


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8/31/21 12:00pm UPDATE: Incident at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant
The reimbursement program will be extended through September 9, 2021 or the morning of September 10, 2021 for hotel checkout). This website serves as official written notice.

Unfortunately the processing of reimbursements is taking longer than anticipated. Please expect to receive your check within 6-12 weeks of the date we received your receipts and related complete/accurate paperwork. We are terribly sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your continued patience.


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8/24/21 3:00pm UPDATE: Incident at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant
We will be extending the reimbursement program by another week. The reimbursement offer is now valid for eligible residents from July 12, 2021 through 11:59pm on September 2, 2021 (or for hotel checkout the morning of September 3, 2021). This website update serves as official written notice.

If you haven't checked it recently, please take a look at our Hyperion 2021 Recovery page for updates on repairs at the plant.



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8/20/21 12:00pm UPDATE: Incident at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant
As promised, here is a link to the Zoom recording from the 8/18/21 City of Los Angeles Board of Public Works Town Hall meeting.



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8/19/21 8:30am UPDATE: Incident at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant
If you missed the Board of Public Works Town Hall discussion last night, here is a copy of the presentation. We will share the Zoom recording as soon as it's ready.



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8/18/21 3:00pm UPDATE: Incident at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant
The program has expanded to include our neighbors north of LAX!  If you live in Playa del Rey or Westchester, please use this link for program details and to submit receipts.

We have updated our Hyperion Recovery web page with our 30-day report to SCAQMD and EPA, a video about how our bar screens work, and the presentation shared at the El Segundo City Council last night. 

If you would like to join the Board of Public Works Town Hall discussion tonight, please click this link to register.



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8/17/21 5:30pm UPDATE: Incident at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant
We will be extending the reimbursement program by another week. The reimbursement offer is now valid for eligible residents from July 12, 2021 through 11:59pm on August 26, 2021 (or for hotel checkout the morning of August 27, 2021). This website update serves as official written notice.




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8/10/21 9:00am UPDATE: Incident at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant
We will be extending the reimbursement program by another week. The reimbursement offer is now valid for eligible residents from July 12, 2021 through 11:59pm on August 19, 2021 (or for hotel checkout the morning of August 20, 2021). This website update serves as official written notice.


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8/6/21 11:00am UPDATE: Incident at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant
We have clarified our release language for both Option 1 and Option 2. You can read them by clicking the links.

Additionally, we want to clarify that the $182 nightly limit for hotel stays is exclusive of tax per federal GSA per diem standards.

For those who are unsure if they've received approval of their applications, please look for an email with the subject line "Hyperion Reimbursement." This email should have a blue box with a link to the reimbursement form and the email serves as your approval letter. Please note when submitting receipts and documentation on our secure online form that all documents should be loaded at once to avoid reimbursement delays.

• For the latest information from AQMD about air quality, please visit their website.

Our friendly 24-hour Customer Care Center is available to answer any of your questions at 1-800-773-2489.




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8/5/21 6:30pm UPDATE: Incident at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant

We will be extending the reimbursement program by another week. The reimbursement offer is now valid for eligible residents from July 12, 2021 through 11:59pm on August 12, 2021 (or for hotel checkout the morning of August 13, 2021). This website update serves as official written notice.

We are also pleased to unveil our new web page which offers updates on the recovery process at the plant. You can view lab results, critical process equipment updates, and correspondence with regulatory agencies in addition to the presentation we gave today at the City Council's ECCEJ&R Committee meeting this morning. The page will be updated regularly.



As always, please feel free to call our 24-hour Customer Care Center at 1-800-773-2489 with any questions or concerns.


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7/27/31 1:30pm UPDATE: Incident at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant

As long-standing El Segundo community partners and in an effort to mitigate the impacts experienced by residents, LA Sanitation & Environment has expanded its Hyperion reimbursement program. Please note the following updates:

Option 1. Air conditioning unit
For this purpose, LA Sanitation & Environment shall define air conditioning unit as air conditioners, fans, air purifiers, air filters, and associated installation. The limit will remain at a $600 limit per household for homes 1000 square feet or smaller and a $1200 limit per household for homes above 1000 square feet. Itemized receipts will be required within 14 days of purchase. This offer is valid from July 12, 2021 through August 5, 2021 unless otherwise extended in writing by the City of Los Angeles.

Option 2. Reimbursement for hotel room, meals, and incidentals
Parking for one vehicle per night per household has been added to the hotel reimbursement. The City will reimburse the household for one hotel room of up to $182 per day and hotel self parking for one vehicle per day. Meals and groceries will also be reimbursed at the rate of $66 per day for each person currently residing full time in the household as noted on the completed application. Receipts will be required for the hotel and parking, but not for meals, groceries, or incidentals. Most hotels are able to provide a receipt with room, tax, and parking only with other charges separated out. This offer is valid from July 12, 2021 through August 5, 2021 (for hotel checkout the morning of August 6, 2021) unless otherwise extended in writing by the City of Los Angeles.

Process for Reimbursement Program:

1. Complete the online Application for Assistance; all fields must be completed as indicated
2. Receive approval from LASAN with a link to the Reimbursement Request Form
3. Purchase your units or reserve your hotel room
4. Complete the Reimbursement Request Form and submit the required paperwork/receipts
5. Anticipate reimbursement approximately 2-3 weeks after complete and accurate submission of the required documentation. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
LA Sanitation & Environment has developed a set of FAQs to help answer some of the inquiries our 24-hour Customer Care Center is receiving. We have also created an online reimbursement request form to submit receipts. A W-9 and proof of residency will be required for all reimbursements.

Please check this web page regularly for updates.



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7/23/31 4:25pm UPDATE:  Incident at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant



After further discussions with the City of El Segundo about how to best offer relief to residents experiencing inconveniences, we have decided to extend the boundaries of our reimbursement program to the homes between Imperial Highway, Pacific Coast Highway, El Segundo Boulevard, and Vista del Mar, within the City of El Segundo, CA 90245.Click the boundary map above for a downloadable PDF. Residents interested in requesting reimbursement of air conditioning units or hotel rooms should complete the online application below.



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7/23/21 12:00am UPDATE: Incident at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant



The boundaries for reimbursement have been extended to include the homes between Imperial Highway, El Segundo Boulevard, and Main Street. The qualification criteria below and the application have been updated. Click the map to download a PDF.


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7/22/21 UPDATE: Incident at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant

The City of Los Angeles recognizes and regrets the inconveniences to El Segundo residents, caused by the incident at Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant on July 11, 2021. In an effort to assist in improving quality of life while we complete repairs, we are offering the following two options. Each affected household may select only one.

Option 1. Air conditioning unit
The City will reimburse households for air conditioning units if they don’t already have them. There is a $600 limit per household for homes 1000 square feet or smaller and a $1200 limit per household for homes above 1000 square feet. Receipts will be required within 14 days of purchase. This offer is valid until July 29, 2021 unless otherwise extended in writing by the City of Los Angeles.

Option 2. Reimbursement for hotel room, meals, and incidentals
The City will reimburse the household for one hotel room of up to $182 per day as well as meals and incidentals of up to $66 per day for each person currently residing full time in the household. Receipts will be required every two weeks before 4pm Friday. This offer is valid until July 29, 2021 unless otherwise extended in writing by the City of Los Angeles.

El Segundo residents may participate in the program by completing an application, which will be available soon on this page (www.lacitysan.org/alerts). The head of household may submit the application online or download a PDF to complete and submit via email or fax. If you need assistance with the application, please call our 24-hour Customer Care Center at 1-800-773-2489. This offer is valid until July 29, 2021 unless otherwise extended in writing by the City of Los Angeles.

Qualification Criteria:
• Must be a resident of El Segundo, CA and the home must be within the boundaries of Imperial Highway, El Segundo Boulevard, and Main Street.
• Must submit a complete application within 24 hours of checking into a hotel or purchasing an air conditioning unit.


CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION.  If you need assistance with the application, please call our 24-hour Customer Care Center at 1-800-773-2489.

The City will continue its repair efforts and provide updates here.



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7/21/21 UPDATE: Flooding at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant



The hard working and dedicated frontline staff of LA Sanitation and Environment consider themselves guardians of the Santa Monica Bay and Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant as their home. Just as they have done during rain or shine, 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, and even through a major pandemic, they put up a valiant struggle to save Hyperion and the Santa Monica Bay during the emergency overflow discharge that began on July 11th. Their heroic efforts averted a much larger catastrophe, and limited the discharge of untreated wastewater to 17 million gallons, which is a small fraction of the 260 million gallons per day that could have polluted Santa Monica Bay for days on end.

On the afternoon of Sunday July 11, 2021, the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant became inundated with overwhelming quantities of debris, causing backup of the headworks facilities. The plant's relief system was triggered and wastewater overflows were controlled through use of the plant's one-mile outfall system at 7 pm which resulted in the discharge of untreated wastewater into Santa Monica Bay. Normally the discharge of secondary-treated effluent is through the five-mile outfall. During the over eight hours of discharge through the one-mile outfall, approximately 17 million gallons of wastewater (representing six percent of an average daily load) was discharged as a controlled emergency measure through its one-mile outfall relief system to prevent the plant from going completely offline and discharging much more untreated wastewater. The overflow of wastewater was through the one-mile outfall rather than the five-mile outfall because the plant's internal storm drains are connected to the one-mile outfall to ensure stormwater flows do not overwhelm wastewater treatment processes.

Per established protocols, the State of California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and the National Response Center were notified respectively at 8:10 pm and at 8:18 pm on July 11th. State Law requires that an unauthorized discharge of sewage [as defined in 23 California Code of Regulations (CCR) 2250 (b)] into or onto state waters must be reported to Cal OES. Cal OES will then immediately notify the appropriate Regional Water Quality Control Board, the local public health department, and the local office of environmental health. These offices are responsible for determining appropriate public and environmental safety measures.

Plant staff was onsite all night and resolved the issue early Monday morning. Overflow of wastewater from the plant headworks flowed through roadways within the plant, inundated multiple buildings on site, flooded underground pipe galleries, submerged equipment and caused significant damage. On Monday July 12th during low influent into the plant at around 4:30 am, a previously submerged metal plate was lifted to provide an opening for plant flows to bypass the bar screen filters at the plant headworks and flow downstream into treatment processes. The opening of the bypass gate stopped flooding within the plant and overflow of wastewater into the one-mile outfall.

Numerous improvements over the years, in partnership with several environmental groups, helped to mitigate the flow into the ocean, including reconfiguration of in-plant storm basins to pump sewage back into the plant in cases of emergency; installation of screens on all catch basins to prevent untreated debris from entering the storm drains and discharging out to the ocean; and installation of a Headworks Bypass to allow diversion of flow away from the bar screen filters and into a bypass channel directed back to the treatment process.

Water quality sampling and testing of shoreline (beach) samples were conducted, and our monitoring vessel traveled to both outfalls to make observations and take samples for analyses following regulatory permit protocols. Sampling locations were centered along the shoreline at the 1-Mile Outfall pipe. From there staff went north and south at distances of 100 meters, 0.5 mile, 1 mile, 3 miles, 5 miles, and 7 miles; these sampling sites extended from the Santa Monica Pier south to Avenue A in Redondo Beach. Samples were collected for total coliforms, E. coli, and Enterococcus. Five days of testing revealed normal bacteria levels, well below the state water quality limits for each type of bacteria.

The nearly catastrophic flooding of the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant on July 11, 2021 resulted in significant areas of the plant being submerged under water and major damage to equipment and processes that treat and clean wastewater. Despite these impacts, Hyperion continues to treat wastewater through its secondary treatment process before discharge through its standard five-mile outfall.

City of Los Angeles forces and contractors are working around the clock to pump wastewater out of inundated facilities, sanitize facilities and equipment, and mitigate hazardous conditions inside the facilities caused by the flooding. It is expected to take a month or more to repair damaged facilities and equipment in order to restore full functionality to Hyperion. Our commitment is to complete the repairs as soon as possible.

Hyperion generates digester gas which is a byproduct of wastewater that the plant receives each day. Since April 2017, digester gas, a renewable energy, is used to generate over 20 megawatts (MW) of power each day from the state-of-the-art Hyperion Bioenergy Facility. The 20 MW of power which is used to meet the plant’s power demand is enough to power about 30,000 homes and is the equivalent of removing about 95,000 tons/year of greenhouse gases from the environment, and about 20,000-cars equivalent.

The flooding of Hyperion on July 11, 2021 significantly reduced the amount of digester gas available to generate power, which resulted in a temporary shutdown of the Hyperion Bioenergy Facility. Because the production of digester gas is low and insufficient to run the Hyperion Bioenergy Facility, the unused gas is combusted by utilizing plant equipment permitted by AQMD, which may intermittently produce visible smoke or flames.

We ask for your patience during the reconstruction period as you may experience intermittent odors, noise, or see smoke or flames emitting from plant equipment permitted by AQMD to combust unutilized digester gas. Hyperion is taking all measures to minimize and mitigate impacts (odors, noise, etc.) to the community during the cleanup and repairs to fully restore functionality of the plant.

Lab results - Monday, July 12
Lab results - Tuesday, July 13

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience experienced as a result of the flooding incident on July 11, 2021. Please contact LA Sanitation & Environment’s 24-hour Customer Care Center at 1-800-773-2489 to express specific concerns or to file a complaint. If you feel that you have lost money or property as a result of any action or inaction by the City of Los Angeles, you can file a claim by clicking here.