Nevada has broken ground on its first advanced water purification facility following more than 15 years of research, testing, and planning. When operational, the plant is designed to treat approximately two million gallons of wastewater per day, equivalent to 7,570 cubic metres. The purified water will be stored in a groundwater aquifer and later incorporated into the Reno area’s drinking water supply.
The project advances as water conditions in the Truckee River basin remain under strain. According to information cited in the article, snow water equivalent in the basin—an indicator of the volume of water held in the snowpack—reached its second-lowest level since 1986 this year. The new facility is intended to reduce regional dependence on the drought-affected Truckee River by creating an additional, drought-resilient local source.
Known as the Advanced Purified Water Facility at American Flat, the project is being developed jointly by the City of Reno and the Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA). Located a few miles north of Reno, it is described by the partners as Nevada’s first advanced water purification and reuse installation. The initiative is part of a broader water sustainability effort in the region.
Unlike many advanced water purification plants in the United States, the Nevada facility will not use reverse osmosis as its principal treatment process. While reverse osmosis can be effective for contaminant removal, it produces a concentrated brine stream that can be challenging to manage in inland locations. Instead, the project partners selected a treatment approach they say requires less energy and fewer chemicals, lowers construction and operating costs, and avoids brine generation.
The treatment train will begin with source water from the Reno Stead Water Reclamation Facility, where effluent is already filtered and disinfected with ultraviolet light. At the new facility, the water will undergo ozone oxidation and biological activated carbon filtration to reduce pathogens and constituents of emerging concern, including pharmaceuticals. From there, the water will be conveyed approximately seven miles by pipeline to an undeveloped rural site for additional treatment through granular activated carbon filtration and ultraviolet disinfection.
State regulations require an environmental buffer before the purified water enters the potable system. To meet this requirement, water will be injected into a groundwater aquifer near Stead Airport, providing additional storage and treatment prior to recovery by TMWA for distribution within the regional supply. Project partners indicate the facility could reduce reclaimed-water discharges to flood-prone Swan Lake by up to two million gallons per day while improving the quality of remaining discharge. If successful, the same treatment approach could be deployed at other regional water reclamation facilities to further diversify local supplies and decrease dependence on the Truckee River.