A new water purification facility that could add 1 to 2 million gallons of treated water daily to the Truckee Meadows’ future supply broke ground Aug. 31 in Lemmon Valley.
The project builds on nearly a decade of research conducted by environmental engineering Professor Krishna Pagilla and colleagues at the Nevada Water Innovation Institute.
The $221 million Advanced Purified Water Facility at American Flat is a project of One Water Nevada, a regional collaboration between the cities of Reno and Sparks, the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility, the Truckee Meadows Water Authority, Washoe County, the Western Regional Water Commission-Northern Nevada Water commission and the 夜色视频.
The Advanced Purified Water Facility is expected to take 2½ to 3 years to complete, according to TMWA Chief Communications Officer Robert Charpentier. Initially, the purified water will be used for irrigation and undergo additional testing before incorporation into the regional water system.
“What is being accomplished here today is significant for our entire state of Nevada,” Sparks Councilmember Paul Anderson, who also serves on the TMWA board and the Western Regional Water Commission, said at the groundbreaking. “This project is poised to become Nevada’s first potable reuse facility, making today an important milestone for our entire state.”
How it works
The Advanced Purification Water Facility is designed to turn highly treated wastewater into a new source of safe drinking water (potable water) for the Truckee Meadows.
Here’s how it works: recycled water from the Reno-Stead Water Reclamation Facility will be sent to the Advanced Purification Water Facility, which will be at the corner of Military Road and Lear Boulevard. There, ozone and biologically activated carbon will be used to purify wastewater. Additional treatment steps will target removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or “forever chemicals.” The purified water then will be pumped into an underground aquifer north of the Reno-Stead Airport, where it will be stored for future use.
“We’re taking water that is already here and using technology to give it another life,” Reno Councilmember Meghan Ebert, who represents Ward 4, said. “That's good for the North Valleys and good for our entire region.”
University involvement
Regional water officials began looking at water reuse options more than a decade ago as Northern Nevada faced increasing challenges related to drought, growth and weather-pattern variability.
A turning point came in 2016, when Pagilla joined the University. At that time, Pagilla already was recognized as an expert in water and wastewater engineering.
“His position in the water community is extraordinary,” water industry leader and distinguished College of Engineering alumnus Rick Warner said.
Warner and John Enloe, TMWA operational strategies manager, helped recruit Pagilla to the University all those years ago.
“We’re very lucky to get someone of Krishna’s caliber here,” Warner added.
Since joining the University and establishing NWII, Pagilla’s research has focused on water reuse and potable reuse technologies, helping lay the scientific foundation for the region’s efforts to turn highly treated wastewater into a future drinking water supply.
His work has also helped prepare the current generation of area water experts.
“We educated so many students on this project over the last 10 years,” Pagilla said at the groundbreaking, recognizing several former students in the audience, including Lydia Teel, TMWA emerging resources program administrator and Angel Lacroix, TMWA senior design engineer.
“We had close to 40 students work on this project, and they are in the community making an impact,” Pagilla said.
