Celebrating 95 Years of Service

August 7, 1911
Until 1910, San Lorenzo was largely rural farms, fruit-drying fields, and cherry orchards. The land was very flat, close to sea level, with foothills to the east. In 1910, the area began to see the subdivision of large farms and estates for individual home sites. With such development, and with large areas subject to winter flooding, community leaders envisioned the need for a public storm water and sewer system. Consequently, 29 civic-minded men, who worked together for a common cause that would benefit the entire community for the next 95 years and thereafter, petitioned to create a new sanitary district.
On August 7, 1911, their petition was approved by the County of Alameda Board of Supervisors, and Oro Loma Sanitary District was formed. It embraced an area of about 800 acres, and as initially formed, was located north of Hayward in an area bounded roughly by San Lorenzo Creek and Mattox Road on the north, Meekland Boulevard on the west, Grove Way on the south, and Foothill Boulevard on the east.
April 19, 1940
By the beginning of 1940, development of the area created an urgent need for proper sewage treatment and disposal. Accordingly, in April 1940, the District was reorganized under the Sanitary District Act of 1923. At a special reorganization meeting of the citizens on April 19, 1940, a five-member Board of Directors was elected.
Work commenced immediately on the preparation of preliminary plans, specifications, and cost estimates for an adequate sewer system, and an application was submitted to the Works Progress Administration (WPA) for financial assistance.
The District's first resolution, Resolution No. 1, set the regular meeting date of the Sanitary Board-the fourth Wednesday of each calendar month, at 8 p.m., at the Hayward Union High School.
March 26, 1941
On March 26, 1941, by Resolution No. 26, Oro Loma approved the first of many joint agreements between Oro Loma, Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSD), and the City of Hayward in regard to the sewer outfalls, as well as future sewer works. CVSD became a long-term partner with Oro Loma.

August 1, 1944
Oro Loma contracted with Oakland Scavenger Company to provide collection and disposal services to the District's customers.

July 2, 1948
By 1947, the California State Board of Health required all jurisdictions dumping raw sewage into fresh waters to provide treatment sufficiently adequate to avoid pollution. Accordingly, the District acquired land at the west end of Grant Avenue. Construction of a sewage treatment and disposal plant was approved by the electorate during 1947-48. A $1,840,000 General Obligation Bond (Issue #5) was issued on July 2, 1948, to finance the District's first sewage treatment plant.
Construction of the new plant began in 1948 and was completed in 1950. It had a primary treatment capacity of 12 million gallons per day (mgd).

February 9, 1968
By 1967, federal wastewater discharge requirements became more stringent, and the State Water Resources Control Board set new treatment standards, including secondary treatment. To meet these standards, the District had to design and construct a more technologically sophisticated sewage treatment plant.
The total cost of plant modifications was $8 million. This cost was financed jointly by Oro Loma and CVSD, with the assistance of a federal grant authorized under the Federal Clean Waters Act, and a $3 million General Obligation Bond (Issue 8, Series A) issued in February 1968.
This modern sewage treatment plant, designed by Kennedy Engineers, used the activated sludge method of secondary treatment. The construction began in 1967 and was completed in 1969.
July 15, 2004
By 1999, Oro Loma and CVSD determined that the plant was unable to meet current treatment standards at its maximum hydraulic flow of 20 mgd. The cost of the required upgrades was estimated at $34 million. Ground breaking for the Treatment Plant Capacity Restoration project took place on July 15, 2004. The completion date was set at April 15, 2007.