The Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority was formed in 1974 in response to a number of factors occurring at that time. The creation of a new wastewater treatment facility was the most significant driving force to bring about the creation of YCUA. In the late sixties, Wayne County proposed a concept for regional wastewater treatment for the Huron River watershed that included wastewater from western Wayne County, eastern Washtenaw County, and southern Oakland County called "SuperSewer." By 1972, Washtenaw County officials feared the project to stop the pollution of the Huron River would never be built. Washtenaw County proposed building a new Ypsilanti regional wastewater treatment plan as required in order to receive 75% federal funding of the project. By combining the water and sewer departments of both the City and Township, economic benefits of eliminating duplication of staff and economies of scale could be achieved. The fact that the City is almost completely surrounded by the Township makes the combination of the two systems an obvious economic advantage. The wastewater plant was opened in 1982 with a capacity of 28.9 million gallons per day.
