Experts travel west to admire T.O. wastewater

A bio-gas digestion process from human waste might not be something the average person would travel 2,000 miles to see, but Osoth Janjun did just that.

The director of operations of Chicago's water reclamation district came with a delegation to Thousand Oaks to see firsthand the city's wastewater treatment innovations.

Public works director Mark Watkins was glad to give Janjun a tour of Thousand Oaks' Hill Canyon Wastewater Treatment Plant.

"We're pretty tickled folks that run what is probably the largest wastewater plant in the world wanted to come and see what we did. We do a lot of things that they don't do," Watkins said.

Thousand Oaks' Hill Canyon Wastewater Treatment Plant is wellknown for its use of solar energy and the creative way the plant captures heat and steam from methane gas, a natural byproduct of cleaning wastewater. The material is extracted from the water and stored in barrels during the treatment process. It then regenerates energy from the heat and steam.

"We were really impressed," Janjun said. "We'd like to do the same things for the 5.5 million people we serve in Cook County."

Extra water from the plant is poured into a city-created natural wetland site that adds beauty to the area and attracts wildlife, including birds, turtles, fish and some endangered species. The treatment plant also sells cleaned water to water districts to irrigate greenbelts and agriculture.

"Thousand Oaks has the best water treatment plant in the nation. It's in the best condition— nice and clean. It has a knowledgeable staff," Janjun said.

About 2,800 solar panels with a sun-following GPS tracking system technology help provide energy at the plant, which treats most of the water that goes down drains and toilets in Thousand Oaks. The solar panels and the methane gas captured from the decomposition of organic material reduce electricity costs, as the plant cleans about 10 million gallons of water every day.

The plant was constructed in 1961 by the Janss Corporation. Until then, most people in the Conejo Valley used septic tanks.

It was built at the lowest point in the area, so gravity, instead of pumps, helps deliver the water to the plant.

The plant, which can be seen looking west from parts of Wildwood Park, is accessed by driving down Santa Rosa Road west toward Camarillo. The post office address is Camarillo, but the plant is actually in Thousand Oaks.