Technical Tour: Kurt R. Segler Water Reclamation Facility (KRSWRF) & Alfred Merritt Smith Water Treatment Facility (ticketed event)

This is a two-part tour which provides an informational and educational opportunity to heighten the awareness of wastewater treatment issues and also will visit the facility that currently treats most of the Las Vegas Valley's drinking water.

The first part of the tour will include a tour of facilities at the Kurt R. Segler Water Reclamation Facility (KRSWRF). The KRSWRF is the City's primary wastewater treatment plant. Originally constructed in 1994 and upgraded in 2008, the treatment capacity is 32 million gallons of wastewater per day.

The KRSWRF activated sludge process provides biological treatment to reduce organics, solids, ammonia, and phosphorus to very low levels. Tertiary treatment to remove remaining phosphorus with chemicals is available, followed by sand filtration. The primary disinfection for the WRF effluent is ultraviolet (UV) light with the capability for chlorination/dechlorination, which can be used to back up the UV system. The KRSWRF has earned NACWA’s (National Association of Clean Water Agencies) Peak Performance Platinum award for 18 consecutive years.

The KRSWRF is approaching the influent volume threshold where vital unit processes cannot be taken out of service due to insufficient redundant capacity. Improvements to the KRSWRF are in progress, using the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method.

The tour will continue to the Alfred Merritt Smith Water Treatment Facility. Built in 1971, the Alfred Merritt Smith Water Treatment Facility currently treats most of the valley's drinking water. Improvements to the facility enhanced the plant's reliability and increased capacity to be able to treat 600 million gallons a day. The addition of ozone treatment in 2003 put the facility on the cutting edge of water treatment technology. After a complex filtration process, water sent to the Alfred Merritt Smith Water Treatment Facility is treated with chlorine gas, a disinfectant, to protect it on its way to customer’s homes.

The facility was recognized with an Excellence in Water Treatment Award from the Partnership for Safe Water in 2019. The award recognizes those water utilities that have adopted best practices in water treatment, rather than merely satisfying regulatory requirements.

Transportation is included in the ticket price.