Omaha, Nebraska – In a significant leap towards environmental conservation, the City of Omaha proudly unveiled the Saddle Creek Retention Treatment Basin (SCRTB), a plant committed to cleaning storm and sewage water. This pivotal development promises to protect local waterways that have been affected by direct drainage.
Traditionally, during wet weather conditions, downtown and midtown Omaha experienced a mix of stormwater and sewage in their combined sewage system. This potentially dangerous combination led to the rainwater amalgamating with various contaminants, including harmful bacteria like E. coli. Consequently, this untreated water would overflow into the little Papillion Creek and ultimately the Missouri River.
The SCRTB comes as a beacon of hope, aiming to minimize the release of this untreated water into local waterways. Omaha’s Mayor Jean Stothert emphasized the importance of this development, noting, “It’s the most important CSO project in our combined sewer and overflow long-term control plan to control pollution that enters Papillion Creek.”
This plant forms an integral part of the Clean Solutions Omaha (CSO) program, a city-led venture targeting the federal mandate of reducing the repercussions of combined sewer overflows in local water bodies. The CSO is an ambitious, 28-year-long, $2 billion endeavor. The inauguration of the SCRTB symbolizes a crucial halfway mark for the project, both in terms of its timeframe and budget.
Mayor Stothert elaborated on the expected impact of the facility, “When the facility is fully operational, we estimate that we will be over halfway to our goal to reduce combined sewer overflows and impacts of potentially harmful bacteria from Omaha’s combined sewer system.” She added, highlighting the project’s significance, “Our computer models estimate we will be over 60% where we need to be to meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act.”
In terms of its operation, the plant is poised to be active during any wet weather occurrences, which can range from 50 to 60 events annually. Waste and stormwater will undergo a filtration process to remove debris. Subsequently, specific chemicals will be added to disinfect the water before its release into the Papillion Creek.
Omaha Public Works Assistant Director, Jim Theiler, underlined the vigilant testing process involved. “The flow comes in, they’re going to test the water to see how much chemicals might [need to be] added. When the flow goes out, they’re going to test again to make sure they’re in compliance with the state of Nebraska Department of Environment quality.”
A significant concern with wastewater facilities is the associated odor. Addressing this, Theiler pointed out the facility’s innovative odor management system, “Those tanks up there, that’s odor scrubbers. So, the air that comes back out to the atmosphere, we clean it with carbon.”
Having cost a whopping $93 million, the SCRTB project, in collaboration with Hawkins Construction, is the most significant Public Works initiative so far. Chris Hawkins, the president of Hawkins Construction, praised the unwavering commitment of everyone involved.
With a broader vision in mind, 12 more projects are lined up as part of the CSO program, set to culminate by 2037. Another facility, akin to the SCRTB, is in the pipeline to be built northeast of downtown Omaha in the forthcoming years.
