Yosemite Breaks Ground On $239 Million Wastewater Plant
Yosemite, CA– Yosemite National Park broke ground Thursday on a $239 million wastewater treatment plant to replace its aging infrastructure and support long-term sustainability goals, according to the National Park Service.
The El Portal Wastewater Treatment Plant, built more than four decades ago, is the park’s largest such facility and the sole treatment system for Yosemite Valley, El Portal, and surrounding communities. The new plant is funded by the Great American Outdoors Act’s Legacy Restoration Fund, signed into law in 2020.
“This project is essential to the continued protection of public health and the environment, and also to the future of visitor services and park operations in Yosemite,” said Acting Superintendent Ray McPadden. “Upgrading this facility allows us to better safeguard the Wild and Scenic Merced River, serve our community and guests, support park concession operations, and ensure the park remains resilient for the next 50 years.”
Once completed, the plant will be capable of treating up to 1 million gallons of wastewater per day using advanced treatment technologies, improved system redundancy, and upgraded automation controls. The plan also calls for demolishing outdated structures and repurposing the former El Portal administrative camp to house construction crews, a move expected to lower housing costs and reduce environmental impact during the project. Park officials say the existing treatment system lacks the capacity and reliability needed to meet today’s standards, and replacement parts are difficult or impossible to procure. The upgrades aim to reduce long-term maintenance costs while preventing environmental damage and costly emergency repairs.
The project, scheduled for completion in 2029, is expected to address roughly $156 million in deferred maintenance and repairs. Construction is being carried out through a design-bid-build strategy under the direction of the NPS Denver Service Center, in collaboration with the Pacific West Region and Yosemite staff.
