Where Does Our Wastewater Go?
Casey Mentzer is the Treatment Plant Director at the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility. As head of Northern Nevada’s largest water reclamation facility, he oversees the processing of 30 million gallons of wastewater per day, coming in from Reno, Sparks, and unincorporated Washoe County – as it’s treated to level of water quality that can be safely reintroduced back into our environment, into the Truckee River.
“How does all of that work?” you might ask. After all, wastewater management is an all-too-necessary aspect of our lives that most of us prefer to think very little about.
Innovative Processes at the Water Reclamation Facility
When we spoke with Mentzer, he explained, “Because we discharge into the Truckee River, which is a pristine water source, we have some of the most stringent permit requirements in the nation, specifically for nutrients. Our plant has always been very cutting edge to be able to meet up with the changing regulatory environment that is put in place to protect the river.” It’s an effort he’s proud to be a part of. In the 1970s, Mentzer tells us, the plant became one of the earliest adaptors of a novel process for phosphorous removal which was followed by cutting edge nitrogen treatment in the 1980s. To date, they continue to do pilot studies, experiments, research, and implement solutions to ensure they are planning for the future, addressing current concerns, and utilizing rate-payer dollars well.
Some of the ways they’re accomplishing this? As a part of their process, the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility produces a natural biogas that’s used to heat their buildings and produce almost a megawatt of electricity. They’re able to crystallize nutrients out of the water to sell as a commercial grade fertilizer, Mentzer tells us, and were the 10th facility in the world to do so. Then, instead of returning all the treated water to the Truckee River, they reuse about 4 million gallons per day throughout our community. Recycled water is redirected to irrigate green spaces at sports complexes, schools, public parks, golf courses, and streetscapes. More recently, Mentzer is excited about the pipeline that’s been built to connect his facility with the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center, where recycled water is repurposed for cooling and other industrial uses. He says this lowers the region’s reliance on surface and groundwater resources while promoting water conservation.
The Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility’s fully certified environmental laboratory employs 7 people, who run samples every day at points throughout the treatment process to test for pollutants – including nitrogen, phosphorus, metals, dissolved solids, and others. These tests produce 50-100,000 data points per year, which allows the team to quickly address any challenges that arise.
Getting to Know Casey Mentzer
Casey Mentzer was born and raised in Reno and Sparks. When he graduated from University of Nevada – Reno degree in Chemical Engineering his goal was to help save the environment. He started with a job at the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection. While he enjoyed his work overseeing the environmental efforts of others, he quickly realized he wanted a more hands-on, proactive role. He left NDEP, began at the treatment plant as an Operator, and – over the past decade – worked his way up to his current position as Treatment Plant Director. When Mentzer comes into work, he can see firsthand the impact the region has on our water resources by viewing the raw sewage arriving at the plant. He shares, “I can go a few steps away and see what we’re putting back out into the environment. Just to know I had a meaningful part in that is unbelievably rewarding.”
In his spare time, Mentzer appreciates the recreational opportunities offered by our watershed. He’s enjoying teaching his kids to kneeboard (and hopefully soon, to wakeboard) on Boca and Stampede Reservoirs and rafting and floating the Truckee River. He concludes, “While we come to work every day to mitigate the impact of human existence within our region, what we do is for our downstream stakeholders. The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Fernley, Fallon, and everyone else that takes water off the Truckee River after as. We focus on what we’re sending downstream to other communities.”