Watsonville landfill reopens Tuesday with a ceremony and more space

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV) -- The City of Watsonville celebrated the reopening of its landfill Tuesday morning after announcing the completion of Cell 4, allowing the site to fully reopen.

The site, located at 730 San Andreas Road, was closed back in 2018 after Cell 3 reached capacity, according to the City of Watsonville.

The city says that this reopening will save $1.8 million annually after they had to transport waste 20 miles south to Marina. They are also saying that this new move will ensure long-term waste management solutions by Cell 4 serving the community for the next 25 years before being capped and transitioning to Cell 5 (which is expected to last another 50 years).

“This is a significant milestone,” said City of Watsonville Mayor Maria Orozco. “Reopening the landfill strengthens our ability to manage waste locally, keeping costs down for residents and ensuring a more sustainable future.”

The city says that they received a $6 million Infrastructure State Revolving Fund loan to work on the 7.1-acre project. This included excavation, grading, drainage enhancements, new access roads, scale upgrades and a trash compactor.

“This project is a great example of how effective asset management serves as a longterm investment in our City’s future,” said Public Works and Utilities Director Courtney Lindberg. “By managing and disposing of our waste locally, we’re making operations more efficient, keeping rates stable, and reducing our impact on the local environment.”

The city says that Cell 4 will process around 60 tons of solid waste daily with recycling and organics continuing to be processed in Marina.