OCSD’s Ocean Outfall System extends 5-miles off the coast of Huntington Beach. The outfall sits on the ocean floor and is used to discharge OCSD’s highly treated effluent at a depth of about 200 ft. The outfall begins above ground at Plant No. 2 in Huntington Beach and makes its way underground and then into the water.

Inspecting the interior of the ocean outfall had not been possible since it was installed in the 1970s because it was too dangerous to send divers inside the pipe at the depth. But technology has changed that. Early Wednesday morning, a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) was used to access the interior of the 10-foot diameter pipe. The ROV was controlled from the surface and data from the vehicle sensors was displayed in real-time and recorded for future review. This video and data collected will be used to assess the condition of the outfall and determine if any repairs are needed.