From Septic Leaching to Sewer Flow: A Long Term Approach to Wastewater Collection and Treatment at Johnson Lake, Nebraska

In 2005, a Sanitary Improvement District (SID) was created to provide wastewater services for Johnson Lake, Nebraska. The project included abandonment of all septic tanks, and provided wastewater collection and treatment for the community. The project impetus occurred in 2001, when the Lake was placed on a ‘water quality concerns’ list by the State regulatory agency. After multiple studies, a three-phase approach was recommended to collect, manage, and treat the community's wastewater. The sewer system is anticipated to improve water quality and spur future economic development. The evaluation process included different treatment and collection system alternatives over a 40-year life cycle cost. This paper will discuss the preliminary design, process evaluation and alternative selection, collection system alternatives, system parameters, design, and components, and construction results will be discussed as they relate to the project. The process evaluation and construction approaches serve to provide insight of implementing a wastewater system in a well established lake community.