South Bay Pumping Plant, Water pumping facility in Alameda County, California, US
The South Bay Pumping Plant is a water facility in Alameda County that moves water from Bethany Reservoir through nine pumping units into two parallel pipelines of the South Bay Aqueduct. The system can transport about 330 cubic feet of water per second and uses motors with a combined rating of 27,500 horsepower.
The plant was built between 1960 and 1969 as part of a larger water infrastructure project in California. An expansion from 2008 to 2014 added four more pumping units to increase capacity.
The facility forms part of the California State Water Project, which supplies water to 27 million residents and irrigates 750,000 acres of agricultural land throughout the state.
The site is located about 10 miles northeast of Livermore in an industrial area that is typically not open to regular visitors. The best way to see the facility is from a nearby viewpoint or through informational signage in the surrounding area.
The South Bay Pumping Plant operates as the sole main line pumping station for the entire 42.9-mile South Bay Aqueduct system, managing water distribution across multiple reservoirs.
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