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The Southside Water Reclamation Plant (SWRP) is the largest wastewater plant in New Mexico and currently serves over six hundred thousand people in the Albuquerque and Bernalillo County area. The SWRP was built in the 1960s with numerous facilities upgrades throughout the years.

The plant is rated for a maximum capacity of 76 million gallons per day (mgd) and currently treats 50-60 mgd. The plant is permitted to discharge to the Rio Grande River under NPDES Permit No. NM0022250.

The staff have a Plant Overflow Emergency Response Plan (SWRP OERP). There are 89 employees that work for the Reclamation Plant and Soil Amendment Facility.

The SWRP utilizes the following treatment processes:

• Preliminary Treatment – Screening, grit removal, and grit dewatering
• Primary Clarification
• Activated Sludge – Modified Ludzack-Ettinger (MLE) activated sludge basins
• Final Clarification
• Disinfection – Ultraviolet (UV) Disinfection
• Reuse – Pressure filtration
• Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) Thickening
• Anaerobic Digestion – Primary and Secondary Digesters
• Sludge Dewatering – Centrifuges
• Cogeneration

Certified biosolids compost from the Soil Amendment Facility is available to the public for purchase. Find out more information here.