Cutting-edge treatment processes assure your tap water’s safety

Aeration is one of the cutting-edge methods the Southern Nevada Water Authority employs to treat your drinking water before it’s sent to your tap. Photo courtesy of Southern Nevada Water Authority

Opened in 1971, the Alfred Merritt Smith Water Treatment Facility at Lake Mead has the capacity to treat 600 million gallons of water each day. Photo courtesy of Southern Nevada Water Authority

In operation since 2002, the River Mountain Water Treatment Facility also is home to the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s state-of-the-art water testing and analysis laboratory. Photo courtesy of Southern Nevada Water Authority

Raw water drawn from Lake Mead undergoes a series rigorous treatment processes, including ozonation, filtration and chlorination, before it reaches your tap. Photo courtesy of Southern Nevada Water Authority

Water drawn from Lake Mead is backwashed as part of the multi-stage treatment process at the SNWA’s Alfred Merritt Smith Water Treatment Facility. Photo courtesy of Southern Nevada Water Authority

Here in Southern Nevada, one of the nation’s most advanced and reliable municipal water systems operates quietly and out of sight to ensure your tap water meets or surpasses all state and federal drinking water standards and is safe to enjoy.

But before water drawn from Lake Mead reaches your tap, it undergoes a rigorous treatment process at one of two advanced water treatment facilities, utilizing a leading-edge combination of ozonation, filtration and chlorination.

Built in 1971 on the shores of Lake Mead, the Alfred Merritt Smith Water Treatment Facility has the capacity to treat 600 million gallons of water daily. At the same time, the River Mountains Water Treatment Facility in Henderson—which began operations in 2002—treats up to 300 million gallons of water per day.

Both facilities use advanced treatment processes that provide multiple barriers to protect your drinking water and ensure it’s safe for you to enjoy. Chief among these is a process called ozonation.

A powerful disinfectant produced by subjecting oxygen molecules to high electrical voltages, ozone destroys bacteria and other microorganisms naturally found in lakes, including Lake Mead. While ozone is an effective water-treatment method, a multi-stage filtration process removes any remaining particles to further treat the water.

Finally, a small amount of chlorine is added to protect the water on its way to your tap. You can rest assured that the ozone and chlorine used in these processes pose no health risk to you or your family, and the result is one of the safest beverages you can drink in Southern Nevada—your tap water.

For more information about how your water is treated from lake to tap, visit snwa.com.