While undercover at One Eyed Jack’s in Episode 1.007, Special Agent Dale Cooper hires bartender Jacques Renault for a job. He tells Jacques to meet him in two hours at the Water Processing Plant on Black Lake. In reality, the plant is located in Burbank, California.
WHERE IS THE WATER PROCESSING PLANT ON BLACK LAKE LOCATED?
Located at 164 W. Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank, California, this location is home to Burbank Water and Power. At the time the episode was shot in spring 1990, the company was known as the Public Service Department. They changed their name in 2001. This is the only episode in Twin Peaks to feature this location.
Here’s a breakdown where certain scenes took place courtesy of Google Earth. Let’s take a closer look.
The scene opens with an establishing shot of the Water Processing Plant.
Here’s a look at the same location courtesy of Google Earth.
There’s a closer establishing shot of the water processing plant just before Jacques Renault’s car enters the scene.
Another look at the location courtesy of Google Earth. You’ll notice something is missing from the location.
This is an aerial view from Google Earth of the Burbank plant. Pay attention to the center of the image.
Sometime in 2007, part of the the plant was renovated which mean the some of the buildings seen in Episode 1007 were demolished. You can see a construction crane removing part of the facility in the image above.
By 2008, the episode buildings are gone. Luckily, some of the other buildings at the location didn’t change which helped identify where scenes took place.
The episode offered a rare backseat view of the inside of Sheriff Truman’s police vehicle. Out the window, you can see some of the plant.
Sadly, Google Maps Street View doesn’t offer the best look at the spot. I had to rely on Google Earth to find some of the matching locations.
Sheriff Truman’s vehicle was parked near the outside wall seen in the Street View image.
Google Earth offered this view of the same area.
Additional shots of this location are used in the scene, especially when Truman approaches Jacques’ car.
The script drafted by Mark Frost describes this scene
Jacques car, a beat-up El Camino, glides in to the plant. He comes to a stop at a stop sign.
The road around him instantly fills up with cop cars. Hawk’s van pulls in behind him. Troopers’ cars take up positions on either side and Truman’s cruiser skids to a stop at an angle in front of Jacques, cutting him off.
Officers quickly take up positions behind their doors, weapons and spotlights trained on Jacques’ car from all sides. Behind the wheel, Jacques raises his hands.
Jacques arrives to the meeting spot in a 1982 Chevrolet El Camino.
Sheriff Truman and his officers surround Jacques who tries to escape by getting back into his car.
Here’s the aerial view from Google Maps of the same spot.
Sheriff Truman arrives on the scene and tells Jacques he is under arrest for the  murder of Laura Palmer and the attempted murder of Leo Johnson.
You can see part of the cooling unit at the Burbank plant site courtesy of Google Earth.
After Truman announces his arrest and walks away, Jacques grabs Deputy Fred’s gun and attempts to shoot Harry.
Deputy Andy Brennan suddenly has become the sharpest shooter on the police force. I mean it was only a handful of days before this scene when Andy looked like this.
In Episode 1.004, Andy visits the shooting range inside the Sheriff’s Department. Incredible how confident he becomes by this episode.
By the time Jacques is shot, Deputy Hawk and Big Ed have arrived in their surveillance van that was outside One Eyed Jack’s. Of note, the license plate for the police car is Washington – 32780D.
Google Earth offered this view of the same location in Burbank, California.
Like so many other film location, I give credit to InTwinPeaks.com which first wrote about this spot. You can see the page originally found on the now closed website below.
