San Francisco’s new headworks facility earns WEF Project Excellence Award

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) has received a Water Environment Federation (WEF) Project Excellence Award for its $717 million Headworks Facility—a major upgrade to the city’s Southeast Treatment Plant that modernized operations without disrupting service at the 72-year-old facility.

The new 250-MGD headworks represents one of the most advanced systems of its kind in the U.S., featuring high-efficiency screening, odor control and grit removal technologies designed to improve process reliability and protect downstream treatment systems. The project was delivered through a collaborative partnership between SFPUC, Carollo Engineers and the Sundt-Walsh Joint Venture, enabling cost efficiency, schedule acceleration and innovation amid pandemic-related challenges.

Key upgrades include an odor control system that reduces impacts on nearby neighborhoods, a best-in-class grit washing and dewatering system that minimizes landfill waste and a vertically designed layout that conserves space while managing extreme grit loads—reportedly ten times higher than typical facilities.

The structure is built to withstand magnitude 7.8 earthquakes and 36 inches of sea level rise, and it incorporates sustainability features such as solar panels, daylighting and LED lighting controls. The project also became the nation’s first wastewater headworks to earn Envision Gold certification from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure.

“This project reflects SFPUC’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and community partnership,” said Jignesh Desai, SFPUC project manager, in a press release. “It demonstrates how advanced engineering can deliver both environmental and neighborhood benefits.”