Wastewater Treatment

Wastewater Collections & Treatment Services

Coachella Valley Water District is committed to providing safe, reliable, affordable sewer service to our communities. CVWD began wastewater collection and treatment services in 1968, acquiring the Palm Desert Country Club’s water and sewer systems. 

Today the CVWD provides wastewater service to more than 91,000 home and business accounts. It operates 3 water reclamation plants from Palm Desert to Thermal. It maintains more than 1,000 miles of sewer pipelines and more than 30 lift stations that collect and transport wastewater to the nearest water reclamation facility.

CVWD treats wastewater at 3 different plants to meet state ­­­standards for non-potable water for irrigation. Every gallon of recycled water used for outdoor irrigation saves precious groundwater for potable use by domestic customers.

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Keep our sewer system flowing

Disposing trash, chemicals, or other items directly into a sewer line is against the law and can cause expensive damage. It is also against the law.  

Do not flush these items down the toilet 

  • “Flushable” wipes, cotton pads and swabs, facial tissues, or other personal hygiene items go in the trash. Wipes are not flushable, even if the packaging says they are. 
  • Paper towels or cleaning wipes should go into the trash can.
  • Hazardous waste such as household chemicals, cleaning paint, cement, stucco, or pool grout should be disposed of at a household waste collection site. 
  • Medications and prescriptions should be disposed of in a sealed container or at a household waste collection site. Drugs should never be flushed down the sink or toilet.

Do not put these items down the sink drain 

  • Scrape hardened grease into the trash can, not into a sink drain or garbage disposal. Grease is a common byproduct of cooking with meat fats, oil, butter, margarine, lard, and shortening. When it enters a home or business’s plumbing system, it sticks to the inside of sewer pipes, causing costly damage. Home garbage disposals do not keep grease out of the plumbing system.
  • Paper towels, eggshells, and coffee grounds go in the trash.