The treatment plant was expanded to meet the needs of the growing community. Activated sludge treatment was implemented which produced a high quality effluent. In the following decades, the cities of Reno and Sparks assumed an even greater responsibility for maintaining a clean environment by incorporating phosphorus removal to prevent eutrophication and protect the quality of the Truckee River. The city's goal will be attained when the final features of their advanced wastewater plant are completed. The Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility is located to the east of the Truckee Meadows and has a sophisticated operation, which requires the expertise of a group of highly trained personnel.
Raw sewage enters the treatment facility through the sanitary sewer system.
Large objects and grit which may damage pumps or other equipment are screened out. The solids collected in the preliminary treatment process are dewatered and hauled away to a landfill. In the primary treatment process, primary sedimentation tanks use gravity to settle large solids from the waste stream. The removed solids are pumped to anaerobic sludge digesters for further processing, while the wastewater continues to the biological treatment. Aeration basins are the heart of the biological treatment process.