Clear Lake Is First In Iowa To Provide Reuse Water For Power Plant!

Clear Lake Sanitary District (CLSD) was originally built in the early 1950s and utilized a trickling filter system. By 1988, it became evident that the treatment needs of the growing population and increasing storm flow discharges would require the plant to be upgraded. In order to meet the more stringent environmental requirements defined by the NPDES permitting authority, the plant chose to undergo a major renovation. This $23 million renovation project began in 1995 and was implemented in several phases over the course of six years. Renovation included construction of new pumping systems, a new secondary treatment system, and a new 5 million-gallon storm flow equalization basin along with renovations of eight lift stations. The trickling filter system was retrofitted with a 4-basin AquaSBR system in 1997 to meet their secondary treatment process needs. The remaining renovations were completed by 2001.