Milford Facility Optimized for Highly Variable Flows

By the late 1930s Howard R. Green Company (now HR Green) had done work all over the state of Iowa and had established a notable reputation, particularly in the field of sewage treatment. In 1936 the company was hired to plan out a sewage system for a vast lake-strewn area in northwest Iowa which included Okoboji and Spirit Lake and the surrounding area. This plan was presented to the state legislature with the request that the Iowa Great Lakes Sanitary District be formed, which would include the existing towns of Okoboji, Arnolds Park, Ford, Spirit Lake and Orleans and the unincorporated areas around the lakes.

The legislature approved the formation of the district in 1937 and empowered it to control the practice of dumping raw sewage into the lakes and to build a sewage treatment system that could eventually be available to all residents. Federal funds and a grant of $125,000 from the Iowa Conservation Commission enabled the project to start. HR Green continued for decades to be involved in this large project, which resulted in hundreds of miles of sewers and many pumping stations. Other communities, such as Lake Park, joined in the effort to bring new jobs to the area, by hiring the company to design sewage treatment plants that could attract industrial and commercial development. HR Green still serves as consultant to the Iowa Great Lakes Sanitary District, more than 75 years after its initial formation.

RECENT WORK

Recent wastewater treatment facility improvements include three new buildings and the re-use of several other structures. New buildings were designed to closely match the existing architecture, providing a cohesive look to the entire IGLSD WWTF. The facility was designed with flexibility in mind as flows increase and additional treatment units are needed, and also to anticipate future permit limits. The improved facility should meet the District’s wastewater treatment needs for many years to come.

At a glance:

1. HR Green has been a consultant to the Iowa Great Lakes Sanitary District for more than 75 years after its initial formation.
2. Several recent improvements have included upgrades to the liquid treatment process and the solids treatment process.
3. The new improvements were designed with flexibility in mind as flows increase and additional treatment units are needed.