Hyperion Treatment Plant, California

The Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant is the last stop for the liquid wastes flowing out of the City of Los Angeles. From the 4-inch pipes that connect to the homes of the city, to the 30-foot diameter trunk lines that connect to the plant, the city's network of 6,500 miles of buried pipeline bring 350 million gallons of waste into the plant every day. Hyperion underwent a major expansion in the 1990's, and is now the fourth largest sewage facility in the country, behind Chicago, Boston, and Detroit. It is located above the beach next to LAX, and discharges the treated waste into the ocean.