Adam RollinsA joint partnership between the city of Reno and Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) will build the first water purification and reuse facility in Nevada. The $221 million Advanced Purified Water Facility (APWF) at American Flat will produce high-quality reclaimed water to meet and sustain the state’s needs. The project is in the design phase. Construction will begin in 2025.
The APWF project is a part of OneWater Nevada, a larger initiative that protects local water supplies by improving water resiliency, sustainability and resource management. The APWF will produce Category A+ reclaimed water, defined as safe for all Nevada water recycling practices. The facility will treat high-quality filtered and ultraviolet (UV) disinfected effluent from the nearby Reno-Stead Water Reclamation Facility (RSWRF).
The project team will use an ozone-biological-carbon based treatment system to meet or exceed state and federal drinking water standards. The process is cost-effective, requires less energy, less chemical consumption and produces no brine discharge commonly found in coastal water purification facilities.
The facility will filter the effluent to reduce pathogens and other contaminants. It will then convey the water 7 miles to further polish and disinfect is at an undeveloped, rural site. The project team will then recharge the local aquifer with purified water for future use.
Plans include enhancing piping and pumping capacity, adding Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) treatment processes and building a public education and engagement center.
The APWF will reduce the amount of water discharged by RSWRF into the nearby Swan Lake by up to 2 million gallons per day. The facility will improve the quality of the remaining discharged water, simultaneously increasing the regional water portfolio’s resilience and sustainability. If successful, the APWF will help promote using the water purification technology in future facilities.
Reno will cover 70% of the project’s cost, and TMWA will provide the remaining 30%. The partners will evenly split the operating costs. Reno officials recently approved $70 million in sewer bonds to support the project. In addition, the project has received a combined $96.2 million from 2016 and 2020 sewer bonds.
