PUC Biodigester Work Continues Underground and Above

By George Verlaine | contributing photographer

The torrent of work-hours continues to flow for a significant number of Bay Area tradespeople at the Biodigester project in Bayview-Hunters Point.

The Biodigester is the result of a $3 billion investment by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to bring its Southeast Treatment Plant up to modern standards. This transformative, cutting-edge infrastructure project is being managed by a partnership of general contractors MWH and Webcor Builders.

Construction was already well underway nearly a year ago when we first visited for an “On the Jobsite” photo feature, but the progress since last August has been immense.

We showed up on a busy Thursday earlier this month and found a whole new crop of union trades workers on the job, in addition to some familiar faces from last year. This time around, countless plumbers and electricians were hard at work in labyrinthine subterranean tanks and tunnels installing thermal hydraulic steam systems and supply and return pump stations that’ll eventually treat the Biodigester’s sludge.

That’s just scratching (below) the surface. Above ground, we met teamsters, laborers, operating engineers, and more. They all seemed to be genuinely enjoying the work and the camaraderie on the jobsite.

Enjoy the photos.

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