Lagoon Project
Since 2019, Haviland has been required by…
Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to make changes to our current wastewater lagoons in or to keep our wastewater permit. We were under contract with an engineer to have a project done, as many of you know, but the cost was staggering and getting worse by the day. This has caused our sewer rates to rise significantly over the last few years. This was also a requirement from KDHE in order to obtain funding for the project, weather it be by grant or loan.
With the help of Kansas Municipal Utilities (KMU) and Kansas Rural Water Association (KRWA), we were able to meet with KDHE staff to seek alternative avenues to accomplish the same goal-to get back into compliance with our permit discharge values. We have been working with a different engineer to meet these goals and we are in the process of evaluating what needs to be done and how we will do it. We will post updates as soon as they come available.
Currently, we have installed a couple fixtures in our lagoons. Many of you have probably already seen these floating in the center of each lagoon. These are solar powered mixers that stir the waters to achieve many important goals and over the last 10 months, they have had some dramatic effects!
Please don’t get discouraged with rising rates, they are for the benefit of the entire City, not the staff or Council. We would also like to remind everyone not to flush items down the drain or toilets. Wipes of any kind are not to be flushed, including wipes that say they are flushable! These do not dissolve like toilet paper and cause sewer backups and clog pumps, causing damage and costly repairs! Thank you for your cooperation!!
Project Update 05/26/25
We didn’t come this far to stop
KDHE has change their stance on the project direction we were headed and our project has changed dramatically. We are under consent by KDHE to do the project and we have been working hard with KDHE and our engineers to come up with a plan that is both cost effective and beneficial to the City's future for many, many years. The public meeting and hearing are both complete. Mark Bachamp, from Olsson Engineering, presented 3 different options for our project. The first is the addition of a third lagoon approximately 11 acres in size. This lagoon will be 4-5 feet in depth and will convert our current discharging system to a non-discharging system. The second option is creating a smaller third lagoon that will discharge into a constructed wetlands. The third option is creating a third lagoon and irrigating farmland with a nearby pivot. Along with each option is also a list of upgrades to our current lift stations and bar screen that will make everything more automated and efficient. After weighing all aspects of each project, it was decided that we would go with option 1, building an 11 acre third lagoon and go to a non-discharging system. We have secured a grant for nearly half the cost of the project and KDHE is giving us a low interest loan through the State Revolving Fund progam. Since we are going to a non-discharging system, we will be getting a 60% loan forgiveness from KDHE. We are also in the process of applying for more grants to help with funding this project. We are currently conducting an income survey in town in hopes it will open the door for more grants. If you were given a survey, please return it to City Hall as soon as possible so we can get these turned in to the State before grant opportunities run out. If you have any questions regarding the surveys or the lagoon project, don't hesitate to contact City Hall or your Public Works Department. Thank you!
