Photograph of the Alfred Merritt Smith Water Treatment Facility building dedication plaque, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1970

Photo of the Alfred Merritt Smith Water Treatment Facility building dedication plaque. Constructed by the State of Nevada, the Alfred Merritt Smith Water Treatment Facility currently treats most of the Las Vegas Valley's drinking water. This facility receives Colorado River water through the intake located in Lake Mead. After the water is treated, it is returned to the water transmission system for delivery. The first stage of the project, in tandem with the first stage of the water treatment facilities and collectively called the Southern Nevada Water System, can deliver up to 132,200 acre-feet of water annually to the project service area. Construction began in 1968 and the first water delivery was made on June 16, 1971. Recent improvements to the facility increased the plant's reliability and capacity. The facility can treat up to 600 million gallons a day (mgd), and the addition of ozone treatment in 2003 modernized the plant with cutting-edge water treatment technology.