OneWater Nevada, USA – Planned Groundwater Augmentation project
OneWater Nevada is a collaborative effort of Northern Nevada agencies exploring a comprehensive approach to extending the resiliency and sustainability of local water resources for future generations. The Advanced Purified Water Facility at American Flat (APWF) is one example of this forward-looking view. A joint effort between Truckee Meadows Water Authority and the City of Reno, the APWF will apply a rigorous, multi-stage water treatment process to provide the Reno area with up to two million gallons of high-quality drinking water daily.
The Advanced Purified Water Facility will take highly treated effluent water and put it through a multi-step, redundant process. This includes ozonation, coagulation/flocculation, biological carbon filtration, granular activated carbon, PFAS treatment, and ultraviolet disinfection. Once treated, the water will be injected into an outlying aquifer at American Flat. Storage in the groundwater aquifer adds a natural environmental buffer and offers additional water-quality benefits.
With almost a decade of research, feasibility studies, and testing already complete, the OneWater Nevada team is now in the design process for the Advanced Purified Water Facility with the expectation of breaking ground in 2025. Construction should last about two years followed by several years of advanced treatment testing, groundwater injection, irrigation use, and water quality monitoring. Initially, the water will be used for irrigation at American Flat Farm, but eventually it will be used to serve homes and businesses with a drought-proof supply of extremely high quality water.
The facility will offer a specially designed public education center where students and adults can see first-hand how advanced treatment technology will benefit our community for generations to come. The facility will also offer a real-time research environment in which University of Nevada, Reno students will further explore innovations in water resource sustainability. This effort will contribute to training tomorrow’s workforce in advanced water purification technologies.