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The Portage Water Reclamation Facility had recently completed an upgrade under the Calumet Region Environemental Infrastructure program.  The purpose of this upgrade was to improve operations, reduce costs, and prepare the Portage Water Reclamtion Facility for future growth and reulatory changes.  Improvements include the replacement of the tertiary sand filters with higher capacity cloth filers, and installation of an additional mechanically cleaned screen in the headworks facility.   

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the Portage Water Reclamtion Facility on April 15, 2009, at 1:00 PM.  Mayor Olga Velazquez, Colonel Vincent Quarles from the US Army Corps of Engineers and US State Respresentative Peter Vislosky were in attendance.

 In 1970, the City of Portage saw a need for a waste water treatment plant.  Thus the first facility was built.  That plant consisted of two primary clarifiers, two step feed aeration tanks and two final clarifiers.

In 1984, due to the City's growth, the plant was expanded.  This expansion included a 3.5 million gallon Oxidation Ditch, four final clarifiers and the old step feed aeration tanks were converted into aerobic digesters.  This expansion increased the capacity of the plant to 3.5 MGD.

Also in 1984 a Tertiary Filter system was installed to handle solids that might pass through the final clarifiers.

In 1984 a vacuum assisted drying bed was installed to dewater the biosolids that were produced in the facility.

In 1991, the installation of a belt filter press was needed to dewater the solids to a more dry end product to help reduce handling costs.

Starting in 1997 and ending in 1998, the plant was expanded from 3.5 MGD to 4.95 MGD with peak flows up to 15 MG.  The expansion included a new bar screen and grit system at the headworks, 2 new final clarifiers and a 1.5 MG excess flow basin.  The basin is to be used to handle the peak flows that the plant receives during large rain storms.  Before this expansion, the plant would bypass from time to time because of the big rain storms.  Since the expansion, the facility has not had any bypassing.

In 2000, the old vacuum assisted drying beds were converted into a new maintenance shop.

2009, an upgrade to the facility was completed with funding from The Army Corps of Engineers.  This upgrade included the removal of the old teriary sand filters and installation of a higher capacity cloth media filter.  In addition to the filter upgrade, a mechanical fine screen was installed at the headworks of the facility. 

2010, The Portage Water Reclamation Board and the Portage Storm Water Board had combined to become The Portage Utility Service Board.

2012, As part of a STAGG grant from the EPA, the faclity had it's final clarifiers recoated.  In addition the the coatings, the facility had also recieved a new dump truck and loader for solids handling.  Other improvments will be added at a later time.