By Kimberley Sander Industry – On Saturday, Oct. 26, a human foot and calf were found at a water pollution control plant in Carson, on Monday morning, Oct. 28, the upper torso of a woman’s body was found in a waste treatment plant near Industry, and on Thursday, Oct. 31, additional human remains were discovered at the same location in Carson. The remains all seem to belong to the same individual, possibly a Hispanic female, sheriffs reported. The foot and calf were discovered in a separation pond early Saturday morning at the county’s Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) on Figueroa Street. Maintenance workers reportedly discovered the torso in a water reclamation pool while checking on a plugged line at the San Jose Creek Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on Workman Mill Road, next to Whittier. The additional human remains were discovered by a facility employee at the Carson location at around 7:57 a.m. on Oct. 31. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner Coroner has yet to identify the remains. Carson’s JWPCP, the largest of the Sanitation District’s wastewater treatment plants, provides treatment for 280 million gallons of wastewater per day, serving a population of 3.5 million people throughout Los Angeles County. Through a variety of procedures, wastewater is disinfected and sent to the Pacific Ocean through a network of outfalls. The WPR provides treatment for 100 million gallons of wastewater per day, serving a residential population of approximately one million people. Approximately 42 million gallons of that water is reused at over 130 different reuse sites, including the irrigation of parks, schools and greenbelts. The rest of the water is sent to the San Gabriel River. The two plants are directly linked. The labyrinth of sewage lines, pools, pumps and tanks at the plants leaves one wondering why or where the remains entered the plants. It’s possible the body could have come in through a manhole or sewer cover and become mutilated through the journey. Whatever circumstances surround the mystery, Sheriffs are treating the situation as a homicide. The victim’s identity and cause of death will be determined by the Coroner. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau is asking anyone with information regarding this incident to contact them at (323) 890-5500. Anonymous information may be provided by calling Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or texting the letters TIPLA, plus your tip, to CRIMES (274637). You can also visit the website at http://lacrimestoppers.org.
