Columbia breaks ground on new water treatment facility

The city of Columbia has broken ground on a $97.5 million new wastewater treatment facility, replacing an aging facility in operation since 1978. The new facility will invest not only in city infrastructure but also environmental sustainability and will serve the community for the next 50 years. State-of-the-art technology and an advanced treatment process will improve system performance with the ability to handle 35 million gallons – 10 million more than the previous facility. There is also room to increase capacity by 50% if and when the need arises. The facility is expected to be completed by April 2027. A portion of the project will be funded through a federal ARP grant.