JOHNSON COUNTY WASTEWATER MOURNS DEATH OF MYRON NELSON

Johnson County Government was in mourning Thursday, September 15, regarding the death of Myron K. Nelson Sr., the county’s first chief engineer for its sewer system.

Nelson, a resident of Olathe and formerly of Overland Park, died Tuesday, September 13, at his home. He was 91.

After creation of the Johnson County Sewer System in 1945, Nelson was hired two years later by Johnson County as the sole employee to manage and operate the sewer district. He had a small office and initially hired two employees to help him during a time of rapid growth in the county and expansion of the wastewater system to provide services to meet increased demands, both by residential and commercial customers.

Under Nelson’s pioneering leadership, knowledge, and hard work, JCW has evolved from a sanitary sewer department into a modern and innovative wastewater treatment organization that now serves more than 380,000 customers in Johnson County. The county’s wastewater system now includes more than 2,000 miles of sewer lines, 7 treatment plants, and 34 pump stations, processing more than 22 billion gallons of sewage annually.

Nelson retired in 1977 as the “beloved father” of Johnson County Wastewater (JCW), according to John Metzler, chief engineer for the department.

“This gentleman was key in building our department into what we are today. There are still current JCW employees that either worked for him or knew him,” Metzler said. “He was a character with a strong personality. In the early years of our history, these characteristics were indispensable.”

In 1995, JCW honored the longtime public servant by naming the treatment complex in Mission in his honor as part of the department’s 50th anniversary celebration.

Visitation is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, September 16, at Amos Chapel of Shawnee. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, September 17, at the chapel with burial to follow in Lawrence Memorial Park Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the American Cancer Society or the Kidney Foundation.

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