Celebrating 100 Years: Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility

From a pioneering facility in 1925 to a nationally recognized hub of innovation, the Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility serves hundreds of thousands of people, continuously assessing and updating infrastructure needs to accommodate population growth and development.

"It's incredible how far we've advanced from the early days when sewage from homes and businesses would drain into the rivers without any attempts to clean the dirty water," said Shafer. "In 1910, the Milwaukee Health Department reported 1,605 cases of typhoid and 171 typhoid deaths, making it clear the growing population needed a better solution than just dilution".

In August 1974, the plant was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers and cited as a unique and innovative facility.

"In 1979, Jones Island was placed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its historic leadership in developing what has become a leading sewage treatment method throughout the world," quoted from an April 1982 report for the Milwaukee Water Pollution Abatement Program.

In the last 31 years (since 1994), the Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility cleaned more than 1 trillion gallons of wastewater and stormwater.