Old Wastewater Treatment Plant Demolition Clears Way for Next Phase of the Big Shift
Starting in mid-June, UC Davis will demolish the former wastewater treatment plant facilities along Putah Creek Lodge Drive ahead of construction for the new Thermal Energy Storage, or TES, Plant — a major component of the university’s Big Shift project.
What is the Big Shift?
The Big Shift is a campus-spanning project upgrading the university's aging heating infrastructure from fossil-fuel-reliant steam-based heating to hot water-based heating, which can be powered by renewable energy. This years-long project involves laying miles of new pipe and updating mechanical systems in every building. Learn more about construction and why this shift is worth it.
During demolition, neighbors can expect intermittent construction noise, heavy equipment activity, truck traffic and temporary lane or pedestrian path closures near Putah Creek Lodge Drive and surrounding areas. Work will primarily occur during standard daytime construction hours. Once demolition is complete this fall, construction will start on the new TES Plant. Expect periodic construction impacts in the area including noise, construction traffic and access adjustments through the plant’s anticipated completion in winter 2029.
About the demolition
The old wastewater treatment structures set to be demolished and filled — including old subgrade sedimentation tanks, treatment basins and clarifiers — have been out of service since 2000, when the campus transitioned wastewater operations to a newer treatment facility south of I-80. Crews will perforate portions of the old concrete structures to allow for groundwater seepage before infilling and regrading the site in preparation for construction of the campus’s new hot water infrastructure.
About the TES plant
The TES plant is a critical part of phase two of the Big Shift, the campus’s long-term effort to transition campus heating from fossil-fuel-powered steam to an electrified hot water system. The new plant will include heat recovery chillers and a 2.2-million-gallon thermal energy storage tank designed to capture and reuse waste heat from campus cooling systems, significantly reducing fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions. When completed, this phase of the project is expected to reduce fossil fuel use in campus operations by approximately 40% while improving efficiency and lowering long-term utility costs.