The Bureau of Sanitation constructed the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant in the San Fernando Valley's Sepulveda Basin.

The Tillman Plant, named after the City Engineer, now retired, who conceived and developed the entire complex is located on a 90 acre site leased to the City by the U.S. Army Corps of Enginneers for 50 years at a nominal cost of $100 per acre per year. The Donald C. Tillman water Reclamation Plant, a project of the Los Angeles City Department of Public Works was funded by grants from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the State Water Resources Control Board as well as by funds from the City's Sewer Construction and Maintenance Fund.

The water reclamation process is completed every 11 1/2 hours, and generates 65 million gallons of reclaimed water per day. This water is distributed to Balboa Lake, the Wild Life Reserve, The Japanese Garden, Sepulveda Basin sprinkling system, the Department of Water and Power pumping station and the Los Angeles River.