About Wastewater Treatment

The District treats wastewater so that it can be safely released to the San Francisco Bay or reused.

The District operates two wastewater treatment plants. The Novato Treatment Plant serves the northern two thirds of Novato. The Ignacio Treatment Plant serves the southern third.

Each treatment plant provides primary and secondary treatment plus ammonia removal and filtration. During the summer months the treated water is recycled and used to irrigate pastures and operate a wildlife pond adjacent to Highway 37. During the winter months the treated water flows to San Pablo Bay via an outfall pipe.

Primary treatment uses gravity settling to remove solids from the wastewater. Secondary treatment relies on biological processes to removed dissolved organic matter from the water. Ammonia removal is used during the discharge period because the ammonia can be toxic to some aquatic organisms. Filtration also helps to remove fine particles. The treatment not only reduces the organic matter but also reduces the trace metals

Learn more about using recycled water...