Welcome to Johnson County Wastewater
About Us!
Timeline 1945 - 2005
60 Years of vision, innovation, and commitment!
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1955
A second treatment plant, Lower Indian Creek, is constructed and goes into operation.
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Shawnee and Mission Townships Turkey Creek becomes the third County treatment plant in operation. Districts in the Turkey Creek watershed follow the “Turkey Creek Law” (KSA 19-2787 to 19-27,113).
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One subdivision after another is built in Johnson County. The Johnson County Sewer System is bidding two to three contracts a week to keep up with the demand for sewers. There are not enough contractors in the area for the many jobs available.
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The Sewer System, under Myron’s direction, is responsible for monitoring the contractors’ work, ensuring that the construction is up to the County’s standards.
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The Indian Creek Main Sewer District No. 1 is created. It is formed in accordance with the “Indian Creek Law” (KSA 2704a to 19-2715).
1956
The Water Pollution Control Act becomes permanent legislation in 1956.
1958
There are a total of 11 employees working for the Sewer System when Jake Norris is hired. There is no overtime pay or uniforms. All employees are on call 24 hours a day.
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Each employee's duties cross over into those of their co-workers: digging out lines that need to be repaired, maintaining the pump stations, and unloading sludge that is to be baked in the sun in a sludge-drying bed and recycled by farmers.
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Staff are happy in a family-like atmosphere where everyone is willing to pull together. When a job needs to be completed, everyone stays until it is finished.
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Two vehicles are acquired. Tools and equipment are hard to come by.
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Records are kept by handwriting them in notebooks.
1959
Mission Main serves 70,000 people.
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Plans are underway to create a second sewer district: Shawnee and Mission Townships Turkey Creek Main Sewer District No. 1.
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A million dollars has been spent on the Unified Sewer District up to this point.
1960
Most of the sewer system is installed before construction on buildings in developments begin. This makes the costs of sewers more affordable.
1961
Construction begins on a second plant adjacent to Mission Main, the Turkey Creek Treatment Plant, designed to serve a population of 80,000.
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Modifications are being made to update the Belinder Pump Station, which controls the first chlorine feed facilities outside of the treatment plants.
1962
Turkey Creek Plant is finished.
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Both plants treat sewage by the trickling filter process. This process is state of the art; wastewater is literally trickled over a special type of rock, which is covered by billions and billions of microscopic bacteria called zooglea that eat the organic matter dissolved in wastewater. Careful monitoring of the process is necessary by the plant operators to ensure the correct amount of wastewater flows through the trickling filters to prevent damage to the environment.
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Legend: yellow = national event
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- Protecting our environment - Serving our customers - Enhancing our communities -