Wastewater Plant History The City of Fresno initiated its first
sewer system in 1891 with the construction of a 24-inch outfall
sewer to a 40-acre ‘sewer farm’ located southwest of Fresno,
east of the existing treatment facility. The acreage proved to
be inadequate for the town and an additional 40 acres was
purchased to increase capacity. The sewage was used for
irrigating alfalfa crops. Eight septic tanks were constructed in
1907 to provide partial treatment of the sewage prior to land
spreading and irrigation. By 1910 Fresno’s estimated population
was 25,000, necessitating an expansion of the ‘sewer farm’ to
meet the treatment needs of this burgeoning society. A major
expansion began in 1909 with the purchase of an additional 812
acres and the construction of another 24-inch outfall sewer
running parallel to the original outfall. This expansion is the
current site of the Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facilities.
Expansion of the Sewer Treatment Plant kept pace with the
demands of the City. In 1917 a 60-i