As storms sweep into the West Coast the Los Angeles River has become at times a raging flood of water racing to the Long Beach harbor. But most of the year the river channel would be bone dry were it not for the treated sewage water from the Donald Tillman Water Reclamation Plant in Van Nuys that is dumped into the river. Other water treatment plants across the valley also pour their water into the river.
Yes. That means the water carrying you down river in kayaks in summer is treated sewage from homes and businesses across the San Fernando Valley. And the water that went into those homes probably came either from the Colorado River or via the California Aqueduct from the Sacramento River in Northern California. Water is peripatetic in California! But I digress…
The Tillman Water Treatment Plant is also home to the beautiful SuihoEn water garden designed by Koichi Kawana. The photos in this post were taken in Spring, but with the increasing interest in the river it seemed like a good time to show the water garden. It’s located at 6100 Woodley Ave. in Van Nuys in the Sepulveda Basin, by the way, and part of the water outflow goes into Lake Balboa.
While the garden is quite beautiful, there is a faint but distinct smell of sewage. Entry fee of $5 for adults, $3 for kids and seniors.
