Water Reclamation Facility

The Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) is designed to treat the wastewater with advanced processes to produce exceptional quality water to be discharged back into the local river system. The WRF began operation in January 1996 replacing the original wastewater treatment plant, which had been in operation since May 1953.

Wastewater consists of domestic sewage from toilets, showers, washing machines, and other household-related activities and wastewater generated by commercial or industrial activity.  The City's sewer system has 13 pump stations that carry the wastewater to the Water Reclamation Facility.

The facilities send organic material through a series of skimmers, screens, and sedimentation tanks and then subject it to microbial breakdown.  Microbial breakdown uses natural occurring microorganisms to convert organic material to harmless by-products.  McMinnville's facilities also remove nutrients, such as ammonia and phosphorous.

The WRF is operated and maintained by the Operations staff whose focus is on running the facilities in the most efficient and sustainable way possible, and by the Maintenance mechanics, who work on equipment repair and asset management.