Nossaman Congratulates the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works on Hyperion Opening, Excellence in Action Award

Nossaman congratulates the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works on the opening of its Hyperion Advanced Water Purification Facility and the “Excellence in Action” award the project received at the 2026 WateReuse Association Symposium in Los Angeles. 

The project—which opened April 4, 2026,—is a new advanced water reclamation facility that will purify wastewater for reuse in a move that will be beneficial to the City of Los Angeles and the environment. It is a partnership between LA Sanitation and Environment and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Under the Pure Water Los Angeles initiative, the facility will purify wastewater with the long-term goal of producing 200 million gallons of recycled water every day, reducing the City’s reliance on imported water and improving water quality in the Santa Monica Bay by reducing discharge.

In describing why the project received the Excellence in Action award, WateReuse wrote:

“The Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant (Hyperion WRP) in Los Angeles and the coastal Hyperion tree in California’s Redwoods share more than just a name. The Hyperion WRP, the largest sewage plant by volume west of the Mississippi, protects millions by transforming wastewater into water suitable for discharge to the protected Santa Monica Bay, while the world’s largest Redwood tree filters air and anchors delicate ecosystems. Both are vital, unseen heroes preserving environmental balance.”

At the helm of Hyperion WRP is Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment (LASAN), the City of Los Angeles’ leading agency for managing wastewater. LASAN operates four water reclamation plants supporting potable reuse, groundwater protection and environmental restoration. As a joint project with Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), LASAN completed the Hyperion Advanced Water Purification Facility (Hyperion AWPF), a 1.5 million gallons per day (mgd) proof-of-concept project aimed at recycling 100% of the City’s wastewater.

Delivered through LASAN’s first progressive design-build (PDB) approach, the Hyperion AWPF replaces potable water use for non-potable applications at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and within Hyperion WRP. It highlights advanced treatment technologies in a compact footprint, laying the groundwork for future large-scale implementation.

Upon completion of the Pure Water Los Angeles Program, Hyperion WRP is expected to produce up to 210 MGD of purified water—140 times the current capacity. The Hyperion AWPF is trailblazing the path to something bigger. The LASAN and LADWP partnership demonstrates how transformational innovations can secure a resilient water future for Los Angeles.

Elizabeth Cousins leads the Nossaman team advising the City on this project.