Update on the City of Omaha’s CSO Long-Term Control Plan

The City of Omaha, Nebraska, is in the process of implementing their Long Term Control Plan (LTCP) as part of the City’s Clean Solutions for Omaha – a major Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Program to bring the City into compliance with the requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency CSO Control Policy of 1994 (EPA CSO Control Policy). Taking a holistic and efficient approach, the City is looking at its CSO Program as an investment to improve water quality while achieving multiple community benefits. The LTCP must be implemented in a cost-effective manner that does not burden ratepayers. Omaha is not alone in this effort and is one of approximately 800 communities nationwide with combined sewer systems that must reach compliance with the EPA CSO Control Policy. The purpose of this paper is to provide general background on the development of the LTCP, an update on the implementation of the LTCP, and information on how those responsible for the implementation of the CSO Program utilize adaptive management along with a strong working relationship with the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) to keep the CSO Program on track in spite of the numerous challenges that have been encountered.