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UCSD is utilizing new MGO sewer permitting and complaint tracking software beginning on August 11, 2025.

The NARP study reports along with a video of the final presentation to the board are available at https://www.u-csd.com/204/Treatment-Facilities The NARP information is near the end of this webpage.  Northwater analyzed samples from the Saline Branch of the Salt Fork and the Copper Slough Branch of the Kaskaskia River in calendar years 2023 and 2024.  The purpose of this study was to assess if there is an ongoing phosphorous impairment in those waters.  If impairment is present, future work would more fully assess the magnitude and model ways to eliminate the impairment in the long run. This work is part of requirements by IEPA that a Nutrient Assessment and Reduction Plan (NARP) be completed on the Saline and Copper Slough.  IEPA has required similar studies on many of Illinois’ waters that either impaired by phosphorous or threatened with impairment due to flows from wastewater treatment plants.  The point sources associated with these two waterways is the Urbana and Champaign Sanitary District, who paid for the study.

The Final NARP reports for the Northeast and Southwest Treatment Plants will be presented November 7, 2024 at the UCSD Board Meeting. The meeting starts at 5:30 PM.  The meeting is open to the public.  You can attend in person at the UCSD Administration Building at 1100 E. University, in Urbana.  If you wish to attend virtually, send an email to Administration@u-csd.com and a link will be shared.

Both NARP reports will also be presented to the December 5, 2024 meeting of the Salt Fork Watershed Group.  The meeting starts at 3:00 PM.  The most-recent meetings of this group have been held virtually.  If you wish to attend, send an email to Administration@u-csd.com and a link will be shared.

Anyone interested in learning more about or commenting on the Final NARP reports is encouraged to attend either meeting and add your comments as you wish.

It’s a BIG Trophy…and a Pretty Big Deal Too!

The Urbana & Champaign Sanitary District's Northeast Plant was awarded 2021 Plant of the Year by the Illinois Association of Water Pollution Control Operators.   Our Southwest Plant won it for 2010.   There are about 100 plants that are in competition for the award.  And we’ve taken it home for both of our plants, just 11 years apart. This honor is especially gratifying because the IEPA field inspectors nominate the plants that can be considered. And the evaluation team is a couple of experienced wastewater operators, who come by for a day-long inspection. Being veterans, they know where skeletons might be hidden away (and they check there too!). This is a serious and thorough judging of the facilities.

I’m especially proud of the Northeast Plant’s winning. Here we’re running a mix of facilities from the original plant, started in 1924, plus additions from the 1950s, 1960s, 1980s, and 2010. Blending those components and producing excellent effluent, reliably and safely is a whole lot more complex than walking and chewing gum at the same time. It is more like walking, chewing gum, spinning plates and running a timed obstacle course, all outside in Illinois’ weather, be it 104 degrees and pouring rain, or 0 degrees and a blizzard a couple of months later. Oh yeah, and let’s throw in a pandemic for good measure. You all do it every day and because you are so good at it, you make it look easy.  We get to keep the trophy around for the next 11 months. It will circulate around Northeast Plant.  Congratulations to all of UCSD!

In other exciting news, UCSD was featured in a Teach Ad by the UIC Energy Resources Center.  Please click on the link for the project profile.  Technical Education and Analysis for Community Hauling and Anaerobic Digesters Project Profile

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