Reclaimed Water

Because water is our most precious natural resource, we have been reclaiming wastewater every single day since 1956. At the Clark County Water Reclamation District, our purpose is to manage reclaimed water as a resource. This means working hard to meet the reclaimed water needs of our community today and carefully planning for the role this precious resource will play in our future. We recycle 100% of our wastewater.

There are several different processes that wastewater undergoes before it is returned back into the environment. They all ensure that the quality of reclaimed water coming from us has been highly treated to meet strict water quality standards and can be safely returned to the environment or used in the community.

We make sure that this valuable resource is returned to our water cycle or reused for irrigation and industrial use. We believe that this is an appropriate and beneficial use of wastewater that was once only considered fit for disposal. Every drop of wastewater undergoes rigorous physical, chemical, and biological treatment processes to ensure that it is safe to return to the environment or suitable for use.

Reclaimed water is used in a variety of applications such as irrigation, power generation stations, and dust control. Reclaimed water is the right water to use for irrigation of large turf areas because by using reclaimed water, we save our drinking water for its intended purpose – drinking. Throughout the valley there are many areas where this water can be used for irrigation including golf courses, parks, and schools. Reclaimed water is also used at a number of power generation stations in our valley as a coolant for the generators. This is the oldest use of reclaimed water in the valley, with our first customer in 1946. Lastly, reclaimed water is also available to contractors in certain areas for dust control during earthmoving, grading and construction activities at parks, playing fields, and community golf courses.

Facilities

The District has treatment facilities in many areas of Southern Nevada. Each of these facilities is designed to protect public health and the environment and to meet our goal to be a good neighbor.

Flamingo Resource Center

Our main facility is located at the east end of Flamingo Road, in what used to be a remote area of the valley. Over time, our neighbors have moved closer to our facilities, and we now have homes, schools, churches and businesses all around us. Our main facility is a modern water reclamation facility that utilizes the latest in technology and equipment to perform our important service to the community. Currently, the facilities can treat up to 150 million gallons per day to meet the needs of our community.

Indian Springs Treatment Facility

The Clark County Water Reclamation District took over the sewer and wastewater treatment system in Indian Springs from a private owner in 2005. Since that time, the District has made significant investments in the community by repairing and expanding the collection system, as well as building a new wastewater treatment facility. Stimulus funds were obtained to assist with the funding of the project, allowing service to be extended to Creech Air Force Base. The new treatment facilities provide a higher level of treatment, therefore improving the environmental quality of the community.

Laughlin Water Resource Center

The facility, located one mile west of the Laughlin gaming district, is an 8 million gallons per day (mgd) biological treatment center. Utilizing modern technology and equipment, the Laughlin Water Resource Center has been serving the town of Laughlin since 1985.

Moapa Valley Treatment Facility

The communities that make up the Moapa Valley area recognize the need to adopt wastewater treatment and water conservation practices for the greater good of the Valley's residents and the environment. The Moapa Valley Water Resource Center was constructed at the old Overton ponds. Operation of the Moapa Valley Water Resource Center began in early 2010. The new treatment facility provides a higher level of treatment for the Moapa Valley and further protects the community's natural resources.

Searchlight Treatment Ponds

The Searchlight wastewater collection and treatment system has served the Searchlight community since its construction in 1976. Prior to that time, the collection and treatment of wastewater was provided through cesspools and septic tanks. The current system consists of 6 miles of sewer lines and one lift (or pump station) station, which pumps the area's wastewater to a central location for treatment.

Blue Diamond Treatment Ponds

The Blue Diamond wastewater collection and treatment system was originally built in 1940 in conjunction with the housing for the Blue Diamond gypsum mine. In 1987, the State of Nevada asked the Clark County Sanitation District (our previous name) to assume responsibility for the wastewater system and, as a result, the District became involved with bringing the system into compliance with State and Federal regulations.