August 2026
ENR West names Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant and Headworks Facility Best Water/Environment Project of 2026
San Francisco, California – Engineering News-Record West has recognized the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant and Headworks Facility with a Best Project Award in the Water/Environment category.
Built by the Sundt Construction and Walsh Construction Joint Venture, the $718 million project replaced two aging headworks facilities with a new all-weather system capable of treating up to 250 million gallons of wastewater per day. As part of SFPUC's broader investment in modernizing San Francisco's wastewater infrastructure, the facility strengthens long-term system reliability and resilience while supporting the city's future wastewater treatment needs. The headworks facility is the primary intake and pre-treatment area for 80% of San Francisco’s wastewater and provides essential upgrades to protect the city and its waterways.
The upgraded facility, which received an Envision Gold Award, also incorporates measures to support community and environmental sustainability, including resilience to a 7.8-magnitude earthquake and 36 inches of sea level rise, advanced odor control and more efficient grit washing processes. These improvements helped reduce maintenance and operational costs, minimize waste hauling and energy consumption, and provided greater flexibility in plant operations.