Crofton seeks access to right-of-way for lagoon
HARTINGTON — The city of Crofton has found a potential site for a 25-acre lagoon but would need the county right-of-way to install an underground pipe to funnel sewage to it.
Crofton Mayor Sharol Lawhead, Utilities Employee Patrick Hochstein and Reed Miller of Miller Engineering in Kearney discussed the proposal with the Cedar County Board of Commissioners at the board’s meeting last week. Plans are preliminary at the site.
Plans are preliminary at the site. The potential lagoon was found with a willing seller but there’s many unknowns - including access to the county’s right-of-way. The tentative piping route is along Highway 12 and then north on 553 Road for about 4,100 feet.
Miller described the pipe as similar to a water main, buried five to six feet deep and “sleeved” when crossing roadways to connect to the lagoon site about three miles northeast of Crofton. He said the city has spent more than a year evaluating potential sites with more than a dozen identified before landing on the viable location in Cedar County.
“We would love to have a site closer but we’ve exhausted our search,” Lawhead said.
It’s the only viable site for the lagoon and the city is under order by the state to change its wastewater system, which is an aging, activated sludge mechanical plant.
Lawhead said the state has extended its timeline twice and the city is coming up on 10 years since they were ordered to change the system.
“We have to do something different,” Hochstein said. “This is the best route.”
Originally, Crofton wanted to refurbish the current plant but it would have required shutting down the sewer.
“Engineers found that they could not refurbish it while we were using it,” Lawhead said. “Some of the things they thought they could do to refurbish it did not work out.”
Another factor of rebuilding a mechanical plant is finding the certified wastewater operators required to run it. “We can’t find qualified people to do this in
“We can’t find qualified people to do this in a small town,” she said.
The lagoon site is attractive in that it’s situated on a minimum maintenance road in a sparsely populated area. The closest residence is more than one-half mile away.
Miller said people automatically think of sewer lagoons as having a foul odor, but that’s not the case, as it’s 99 percent water that is evaporated over time.
Roads Superintendent Carla Schmidt said the county doesn’t usually allow any kind of piping in rural rights-of-way.
“I’m not saying it can’t be done but it’s all about liability,” she said.
Lawhead said she’s been assured that the piping would be covered under the city’s umbrella policy.
The commissioners agreed for Crofton’s attorney to work with the county attorney regarding liability issues and assurances needed to move forward with the project.
Miller is already taking soil samples at the site and will work with the state on the requirements, as well as complete a ground survey.
At their meeting last week, the county commissioners also heard building and zoning permits including for Annette Prichard for a 32-by-44-foot detached garage; for Joe West for a 20-by-72-foot machine shed; for Robert Wuebben for a 28-by-36-foot attached garage; for Eldon and Melvin Vanderheiden for a 45-bushel, 48-foot bin; for Lathan Devilson for a 30-by-60-foot shop addition; and for Bruce Wiebelhaus for a 15-by-20-foot extension onto a previously field building permit.