Expansion to Accommodate Current and Future Growth Needs

Originally built in 1964 and expanded several times since, Fremont’s Wastewater Treatment Plant faced a significant challenge — in 2016, following an assessment of the City’s treatment needs, a proposed new chicken processing plant was announced that would increase the WWTP’s flows and loads. Based on these loads, the City began a package of three projects to expand secondary treatment capabilities and address ammonia, suspended solids issues and biochemical oxygen demand while improving plan infrastructure. The second and third projects added three covered anaerobic lagoons for industrial pretreatment and a second egg-shaped anaerobic digester to handle the increase in solids loading. Our engineers guided the City through the evaluation, selection and design of a new, state-of-the-art biogas conditioning system installed as part of the second construction project.

During the construction of these packages, Wholestone Farms purchased the local pork processing plant and announced a major investment to double production and add a second shift. For the second time in five years, the City faced a significant increase in wastewater. The City hired our team to design improvements and plant modifications to handle industrial flow and load increases.

After nearly 10 years, the WWTP has been completely upgraded and expanded to meet the growing community needs. Completed in four distinct projects, the City now has a state-of-the-art facility that meets ever-stringent regulatory requirements; an expanded capacity that has fueled economic growth; and environmental benefits in improved water quality, upgrading biogas to natural gas, and expanded operations for beneficial composting of biosolids. This upgraded and expanded treatment plant will meet the needs of Fremont for years to come and allow for continued economic development in this important eastern Nebraska city.