Central Contra Costa’s sewer authority is turning 80, and it is celebrating in the only appropriate way: with toilet racers, treatment plant tours, big trucks, free ice cream, and a behind-the-scenes look at what happens after you flush.
Central San, officially the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District, is hosting a free community open house on Saturday, June 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its headquarters and wastewater treatment plant in Martinez. The district is billing the event as a “once-in-a-decade sewer spectacular,” and honestly, it sounds like one of the more unusual, epic, family outings of the summer.
The event celebrates Central San’s 80 years of service in Contra Costa County. Founded in 1946, the district now serves nearly 500,000 residents and more than 15,000 businesses across central Contra Costa County.
That includes the everyday invisible work of collecting wastewater through a roughly 1,500-mile sewer system and sending it to the treatment plant in Martinez, where Central San says it cleans about 13 billion gallons of wastewater every year.
For one day, the public gets a rare look at that system up close.
Event highlights include tours of the wastewater treatment plant and other facilities, demonstrations of Central San trucks, tools, and equipment, interactive games and crafts, educational exhibits, giveaways, and free food and ice cream. The most memorable attraction may be the “toilet racers,” which Central San describes as being like go-karts, but with toilets.
There will also be plenty for families who are curious about what actually happens below the streets. Central San says the open house will include behind-the-scenes discoveries and hands-on activities designed for all ages. That means kids can learn where wastewater goes, adults can finally understand the giant infrastructure most people never think about, and everyone can appreciate the strange civic miracle of a sewer system that quietly works every day.
The treatment plant tours are likely to be one of the bigger draws. Central San says space is limited and strongly encourages visitors to preregister for a tour spot in advance. The walking tours will show how the district cleans millions of gallons of wastewater every day before returning treated water safely to the environment.
There is also a bike-friendly twist. Bike Concord is helping lead a guided “Bike Bus” to the open house from Pleasant Hill BART. Riders will gather at the station at 9:15 a.m. and roll out at 9:30 a.m., following the Iron Horse Trail north toward Central San’s Martinez headquarters. The group is expected to arrive a little after 10 a.m.
Even the bike route has sewer significance. Central San notes that for 21 miles, the Iron Horse Trail follows one of the district’s sewer lines, tracing nearly the entire flow from the southeastern edge of the service area in San Ramon to the treatment plant in Martinez. Bike Concord will also provide free bike valet at the event and help guide riders back after the open house.
For those driving, Central San says free off-site parking and shuttle service will be available. Parking Lot A is at the Contra Costa County Assessor’s Office at 2530 Arnold Drive in Martinez. Parking Lot B is at the Contra Costa County Public Works Department at 255 Glacier Drive. Handicap parking will be available at Central San, 5019 Imhoff Place in Martinez.
A few practical notes: Central San asks attendees to bring a reusable water bottle, since a refill station will be available. Pets are not allowed, except for service animals.
It is not every day that a local utility turns wastewater infrastructure into a community celebration. But then, Central San is no ordinary sewer authority!
For anyone who has ever wondered where everything goes after it disappears down the drain, Central San’s 80th open house may be the rare chance to find out — with free ice cream and toilet racers thrown in.
