The NTMWD protects the health of our communities and preserves our precious water resources by providing wastewater treatment services for the communities served. Wastewater treatment standards established by the federal and state regulators, require NTMWD to ensure that wastewater treatment activities do not cause harm to the environment or the receiving waterways. The treated wastewater, known as effluent, is released into local waterways where it is used again for any number of purposes, such as supplying drinking water, irrigating crops, and sustaining aquatic life.

The NTMWD has provided wastewater treatment services to its participating cities since 1972, when the NTMWD assumed operations of Plano’s Rowlett Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The first wastewater facility built and operated by the NTMWD was the small, specialized, high quality, Rush Creek Treatment Plant in Rockwall. Today, the NTMWD owns and operates four regional treatment facilities that provide secondary and/or tertiary level treatment. In addition to the regional facilities, the NTMWD operates 12 smaller treatment plants that are included in the NTMWD Sewer System.

The NTMWD Regional Wastewater System and Sewer System treated over 32 billion gallons of wastewater during the 2007-08 Operations Year (October 2007-September 2008). Of the total wastewater treated, 18 percent received treatment through the NTMWD Sewer System, while the remaining 82 percent received treatment at one of the four regional wastewater treatment plants.

Droughts, population growth, and the knowledge of water as a finite resource have directed the NTMWD to develop wastewater reuse strategies. These wastewater reuse strategies will reduce the release of nutrient-rich effluent into waterways and can ultimately augment water supply to meet current and future water demands. Several of the NTMWD wastewater treatment plants provide effluent to neighboring golf courses for their irrigation uses. The NTMWD has completed the largest constructed wetland in the United States that will reclaim water from the East Fork of the Trinity River, polish or cleanse the water utilizing aquatic plants, then transfer the polished water to Lavon Lake to augment water supplies. Wastewater reuse provides a beneficial purpose, a conservation measure, and a reliable alternative water use from wastewater effluent or reclaimed water.

Construction contracts within the Wastewater System totaled over $78 million, including: construction of the Panther Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), the first expansion to the Muddy Creek Regional WWTP, improvements to the Wilson Creek, Floyd Branch, and South Mesquite Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plants.

Expansions and improvements to several force mains and lift stations included: the Buffalo Creek Force Main and Lift Station, the Indian Creek/Preston Road Force Main and Lift Station, the Plano Spring Creek Lift Station, the Beck Branch Lift Station; and the Lower East Fork Interceptor System Lift Station and Force Main. Other enhancements were also made with the construction of the Lower East Fork Mustang Creek Interceptor and the Upper East Fork Interceptor System Rowlett Creek Parallel Trunk Sewer.

View the
Wastewater Treatment Process.