City of Le Sueur Wastewater Department

What We Do:

The Le Sueur Wastewater Utility Department is responsible for collecting the wastewater
in the City of Le Sueur. The collection system consists of sewer lines, lift stations, force
mains, and storage ponds.

Our New Partnership with the Le Sueur Cheese Company and the City of Henderson made
it possible to form the Minnesota River Valley Public Utilities Commision (MRVPUC), which
was able to finalize the new wastewater treatment facility in 2009.

The wastewater from the Le Sueur Cheese Pretreatment Facility, the City of LeSueur, and
the City of Henderson is sent through our activated sludge treatment plant, processed to
holding tanks, and then sent through a drying system resulting in quality-assured fertilizer
for farms and crops.

We continually test and monitor the wastewater to be sure TSS (Total Suspended Solids),
DO (Dissolved Oxygen), PH, CBOD, phosphorous, and ammonia are at acceptable levels.
The most serious treatment problem tends to be shock loads, large unexpected volumes
to the system, which tend to disrupt the normal treatment process.

How We Do it:

Staff & Equipment:
In addition, we operate and maintain a specialized "jetter" truck that enables us to clean
sewer lines, a camera that allows us to view sewer lines and identify problems, and a
truck with a crane to pull lift station pumps for repair and maintenance.

Our staff includes Director Brian Skok, five licensed operators, and one part-time clerk
We also have seasonal part-time employees.

The City of Le Sueur Wastewater Department, along with MRVPUC, is a member of
the Minnesota Wastewater Operators Association (www.mwoa.net), the Minnesota Environmental Science & Economic Review Board (www.meserb.org), and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (www.pca.state.mn.us).

Educational Services:
We are always pleased to help Citizens learn  more about wastewater and Le Sueur's
Wastewater Treatement Facility and processes. If your group would like to schedule a
tour and informational lesson, call Brian Skok at (507)665-9941, extension 1 to set up
an appointment.

Other Services & Benefits:
The Wastewater Utility Department accepts raw septage from septic tanks. For cost and
location, call (507)665-9941.

How You Can Help:

You can help by avoiding the following, which increases the cost to taxpayers:

      1.  Do not discharge sump pumps into your sewer lines. This causes clean
           water to be treated.
      2.  Do not flush items that are not meant to be flushed. Nonorganic items
           must be removed during the treatment process which adds to the cost
           of operation.

Conserve, conserve, conserve! Be conscious of your water usage. The only water we
will ever have on this planet is what we have right now! Click here for some water facts.

Contacts

Gopher State One Call:
(800) 252-1166 or
(651) 454-0002.
For more information call
or visit their website at: www.gopherstateonecall.org

Call the Wastewater Utility Department and a plumber. The City owns the sewer mains; homeowners are responsible for the lines from the main to the house.

BLOCKED SEWAGE VENTS CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR HOMEOWNERS:

The cold weather doesn't  just freeze up roads.  It can also do a number on sewage vents blocking them with ice and snow.

Sewage vents are those things on your roof that    look like an exhaust pipe.      A sewage or gassy smell in your home is usually a hint that your sewer vent is frozen or blocked.

Another sign may be sinks and tubs that stop draining normally. A heavy buildup     of sewage gas can be explosive so preventing a frozen pipe is important.

Keep the snow buildup away from the pipes if possible. You can also try running hot water in your shower for ten minutes to warm up the vent pipe and melt the ice that may have accumulated.

The only time to ever attempt going on your roof during the winter is if it can be done safely!