WSP03539

• File Number: 8407.400
• Description: Platte River Basin - River Basin General Publications - Nebraska
• State: NE
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 9/1/1968
• Author: Nebraska Soil and Wa
• Title: Nebraska State Water Plan - Big Blue River Basin - Appendix
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Blue River - Page 6

Pollution Abatement

In the near future there maJ." be inadequate streamflow in the

upper reach of the West Blue River to meet the dilution requirements

for the Hastings Sewage Treatment Plant and also for the York Sewage

Treatment Plant. However, before any impoundments or transbasln

diversion are considered, economic studies should be made to deter-

mine the feasibility of tertiary treatment of sewage plAnt effluents

as compared to suppllmentary stream flow by storage or transbasln

diversion.

Until additional studies are made to dete~lne the loading

capabilities of the Big Blue River, caution should be used in the

construction of additional waste wa~er treatment plants which will

discharge into the river. In many cases where there are increases

in waste \'tater loadings, tertiary treatment will be needed.

At the present time, in the Big Blue River, no part of the

flow has been reserved for dilution of waste waters. Tertiary

treatment of municipal and industrial wastes may, in the future, be

necessarJ if we have reduced flows. In some of the larger communities,

in additior. to tertiary treatment, phorphous and nitrogen removal may

be necessary. At the present time, the Nebraska law does not recognize

the use of water for sewage dilution.

At the present time, very little 1s being done relative to the

control of agricultural pollution; the major one being slIt, followed

by feedlots and irrigation return flows. At the present time, much

thought and discussion is occurlng on this subject. There is ample

evidence that agricultural polluticn has a serious effect upon water