LOS ANGELES, CA — Walsh Construction joined the City of Los Angeles, LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN), and design-build partner Brown and Caldwell to unveil the new Hyperion Advanced Water Purification Facility at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant. The new facility is designed to produce up to 1.5 million gallons per day of advanced treated recycled water for approved non potable uses at Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant and at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), including cooling water and sanitary facilities.

Delivered by Walsh Construction and Brown and Caldwell, the project was executed as a progressive design-build delivery method. The project supports the long-term transformation of the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant toward 100 percent water recycling, an integral component of the city’s Pure Water Los Angeles program to reduce dependence on imported water. The Hyperion Advanced Water Purification Facility is designed to treat primary treated wastewater from the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant and produce advanced treated recycled water for beneficial reuse. During normal operations, the recycled water is intended for non potable applications at LAX and within Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant, offsetting potable water previously used for certain industrial and operational demands. The Hyperion Advanced Water Purification Facility uses a multi-barrier advanced treatment train designed to produce high-quality recycled water for non potable reuse. The process includes:

• Fine screening to remove particulate material prior to membrane treatment
• Membrane bioreactors for biological treatment and membrane separation, supporting nutrient removal and microbial solids removal
• Reverse osmosis to remove dissolved organic and inorganic compounds and provide an additional barrier to pathogens
• Ultraviolet disinfection/advanced oxidation to provide pathogen inactivation and the destruction/removal of trace organic compounds
• Post treatment stabilization, including pH/alkalinity adjustments and residual management to protect distribution system water quality
Supporting infrastructure includes multiple pump stations, chemical storage, conveyance systems integrated within the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant footprint, and a 125,000-gallon product water tank for storage.

The Hyperion Advanced Water Purification Facility's progressive design-build contract was managed by LASAN, with Walsh Construction as contractor and Brown and Caldwell as lead engineer. The delivery method supported early collaboration that addressed site constraints, stakeholder coordination, and integration into existing HWRP operations, including conveyance tie ins, controls/SCADA integration, and maintaining ongoing plant functions. Project scope required integration of the new treatment processes and supporting infrastructure with active plant systems, including influent diversion, waste discharge return, purified water conveyance, and power/controls integration. This delivery approach is also described as a method that allowed LASAN and its partners to remain closely engaged through design development and performance validation, reflecting the facility’s proof of concept role within longer range water reuse planning. “From early design development through construction and startup, our team’s focus was on building a facility that performs reliably and integrates with Hyperion’s ongoing operations," said Blayne Goodman, Vice President at Walsh Construction. “Progressive design-build supported this collaboration, and the result is a new advanced water purification facility that strengthens Los Angeles’ momentum toward a greater local water supply.” The Hyperion Advanced Water Purification Facility has received a collection of industry awards and recognitions for its delivery and technical approach, including a 2026 Associated General Contractors of California Constructor Award in the Utility Infrastructure category and a 2026 WateReuse Award for Excellence.