Water Pollution Overview

The Solid Waste Division provides wastewater treatment services at the Water Pollution Control Plant.

The Water Pollution Control (WPC) Plant began its existence in 1959 with the construction of Norfolk's first wastewater treatment facility. At that time the City was generating 1.0 million gallons of wastewater per day. The original plant included only preliminary and primary treatment, and removed 50% of the pollutants. A secondary treatment process was added in 1970 that raised treatment efficiency to 95%. A general plant capacity expansion was completed in 1980. A solids processing complex was added in 1990, and in 1995 a Sequential Batch Reactor was added for nitrogen reduction. We currently receive 3.5 million gallons of wastewater per day.

The WPC Plant staff of 12 employees maintain the plant processes and equipment, manage a solids application program, and conduct an industrial wastewater monitoring program. Our laboratory conducts daily treatment process monitoring tests, and discharge compliance monitoring tests. We also provide testing services to neighboring communities.

The performance of the plant is monitored by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, under regulations delegated to it by the Environmental Protection Agency. Those regulations include an NPDES permit that regulates the quality of water discharged to the Elkhorn river.