Provo City officials on Saturday opened a new water reclamation facility with a public event called "FlushFest," saying the plant will increase wastewater treatment capacity and reduce nutrient pollution flowing to Utah Lake.

The facility uses membrane bioreactor technology and, officials said, replaces infrastructure dating to 1956 that was last significantly updated in 1978. "After breaking ground in September 2020, our state of the art water reclamation facility is now operational and ready to serve our growing community for generations to come," Mayor Michelle Caffuzzi said. "We came in...on time and on budget."

Why it matters: City and county officials framed the project as both an infrastructure and environmental milestone. Assistant Director Emily Canton of the Utah Division of Water Quality said the Utah Water Quality Board authorized $92,800,000 in low-interest financing to help make the project affordable. Utah County Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner said the county provided more than $14,000,000 in ARPA funds, calling it the county's largest single ARPA grant. Officials said the plant will remove nutrient pollutants such as phosphorus and nitrogen, improving water quality and recreational uses of Utah Lake.

In remarks to attendees, Mayor Caffuzzi described the undertaking as a multigenerational project that relied on partnerships across city departments, regional agencies and private contractors. "This truly is a generational project," she said, adding that the city used "cutting edge membrane bioreactor technology" used by advanced plants worldwide. The mayor and other speakers credited collaborative planning and early procurement for helping avoid inflation-driven cost increases.

Emily Canton, speaking for the Utah Division of Water Quality, congratulated Provo and emphasized the project's effect on public health and the lake, saying the new plant will treat wastewater to "the highest standards" and remove nutrient pollutants that harm aquatic life and recreation. Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner tied the project to countywide efforts including shoreline restoration and phragmite reduction, saying the upgrade "directly improve[s] the water that flows to Utah Lake" and supports long-term water management for a fast-growing region.

Gordon Haight, Provo's public works director, thanked the design and construction teams and urged attendees to learn about the plant's membrane technology: "If you see people in the blue shirt, ask them about this membrane technology, and they will bore you to death." City remarks also recognized former and late staff and named private-sector contributors, including Waterworks Engineering, AECOM, Hansen Allen, Luce, Acadia and Alder Construction and members of their teams.

Project timeline and funding details cited at the event: officials said the project broke ground in September 2020, replaced treatment infrastructure last updated in 1978, and received $92,800,000 of low-interest financing authorized by the Utah Water Quality Board plus a county ARPA grant of over $14,000,000. Officials characterized the outcome as operational readiness rather than a change in policy or regulation; no formal legislative or board vote occurred at the event.

The city offered public tours and festival activities at the opening. Officials said the facility is intended to serve Provo's growing population and to reduce pollutant loads to Utah Lake for years to come.