Ever wonder what happens when the bathtub drains, the suds in the kitchen sink wash away or the toilet is flushed? In an effort to broaden the community’s understanding of the City’s wastewater system and infrastructure and its impact throughout the community, Davis residents will receive an invitation with their utility bill to participate in The Davis Wastewater Hunt.

All residents are invited to be inspired by the City’s wastewater infrastructure and to share photos on social media by tagging #daviswastewaterhunt of what the infrastructure means to them and how the infrastructure connects and impacts the rest of the community. This “hunt” will run from June through September 2022 to create collective awareness and inform a special new public art initiative beginning in fall 2022. A selection of the best examples will be shared on the City’s website and social media channels. Content will be vetted by staff for appropriateness before posting on City channels. There will be prizes for the most creative posts. For safety purposes, residents are asked to not interact with the City’s wastewater infrastructure in the taking or creation of these photos. To learn more about the Davis Wastewater Hunt, visit: https://cityofdavis.org/daviswastewaterhunt.

The Davis Wastewater Treatment Plant serves more than 70,000 people, including residential connections and commercial, industrial and institutional customers. The wastewater infrastructure includes 164 miles of gravity sewers, 3,224 maintenance holes and six pump stations. The Plant produces high quality treated wastewater that is discharged to the Willow Bypass with a portion released into the Davis wetlands to support habitat, benefiting wildlife and humans alike.

This fun, interactive public engagement activity is the first phase of a larger public art initiative made possible by the one percent of Municipal Arts funding associated with the recent Wastewater Treatment Plant Facilities Improvement. The City of Davis is partnering with multidisciplinary studio Cheng + Snyder to design this community engagement activity. Photos and inspiration from the Wastewater Hunt will inform the design process in a round of Citycommissioned public art associated with the Wastewater Treatment Plant and its connections with the local community and environment. For more information about the Wastewater Treatment Plant, visit: www.cityofdavis.org/wastewater.