Water Resource Recovery Facility

The Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF), formerly known as the Wastewater Treatment Plant, is the largest single-site wastewater treatment facility in the United States. It services the needs of Detroit and 76 other communities in a service area of more than 946 square miles.

The treatment plant was originally designed to provide primary treatment (screening of solids and chlorination) for the wastewater generated by 2.4 million people. The plant’s service area in 1940 included Detroit and 11 nearby suburban communities.

Secondary treatment (more rigorous screening, treating and disinfection of biodegradable solids to produce an even cleaner effluent) was introduced in the 1960s. The Water Resource Recovery Facility continues to be the recipient of continual upgrades to ensure it is capable of maintaining the most stringent regulatory standards.

In 1999, the Michigan section of the American Society of Civil Engineers named the Wastewater Treatment Plant one of the top 10 engineering projects of the 20th century.