A growing population and new federal water quality standards led to the development of an improved wastewater treatment plant in northern Onondaga County. In 1976, the County Legislature voted to consolidate three sanitary districts and make crucial improvements to the Morgan Road treatment plant. The newly named Wetzel Road Wastewater Treatment Plant was established to provide sanitary sewers to portions of the towns of Salina and Clay.  

By 1980, the area’s population surged, requiring the Wetzel Road plant to double its capacity to accommodate the increasing demand.  Additionally, the plant needed significant upgrades to meet state environmental requirements. Today, the Wetzel Road plant serves residential neighborhoods with some commercial customers and a handful of industrial users.