Significant Milestones in the History of Wastewater Management in the Madison Area

Year

Milestone

1880s

First sanitary sewers

1899

First wastewater treatment plant, Located near Yahara River at East Washington Ave, Chemical precipitation plant that didn't work, operated from May 1899 until January 12th 1900.

1901

Madison's second treatment plant, built next to first, operated until 1914.  Consisted of septic tanks with cinder filters.

1914  photo Burke Treatment Plant placed in service.  Operated by MMSD until 1936, U.S. Gov. 1942-1946 and then MMSD until 1950.
1914 Main Pumping Station placed in service, Abandoned in 1950 when the new Pump Station No. 1 went into service.
1914 Greenbush Pumping Station placed in service, Abandoned in 1964 when the new Pump Station No. 2 went into service.
1921 Wingra Pumping Station was constructed.  Abandoned when South West Interceptor was placed in service - 1956

1928  photo

The original Nine Springs Treatment Plant is placed in service June 28th – built by the City of Madison.  Prior to this all flow went to the Burke Treatment Plant

1930

Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District was created by judgment of the circuit court for Dane County entered on the 8th day of February 1930

1932 Spring Harbor Pumping Station, now Pumping Station No.5 pumps Middleton’s and Shorewood Hills sewerage to he Nine Spring Plant
1935  photo First Addition to the Nine Springs Treatment Plant

1949

State law passed prohibiting effluent discharge to Madison lakes

1958  photo

Nine Springs effluent diverted to Badfish Creek

1963 Pumping Station No. 9 was constructed, pumps McFarland’s and surrounding township's sewerage to Nine Spring Treatment Plant.

1972

Creation of the Federal “Clean Water Act”

1974

MMSD begins to haul sludge from the sludge storage lagoons to farmers using draglines, dump trucks, and graders (precursor to the Metrogro program)

1980

Metrogro biosolids reuse program implemented

1982

MMSD office moved from First Street to Nine Springs

1985

First Nine Springs computerized process control system placed in service

1986

Advanced secondary nitrification process and UV disinfection process placed in service

1990

Sludge storage lagoons placed on the Superfund List due to discovery of PCBs

1991

Commissioning of gas utilization facilities for co-generation of power and hot water using digester gas

1994

Commissioning of Metrogro Storage Tanks, use of sludge storage lagoons discontinued

1996 Verona Pumping Station is constructed,  Verona's Waste Water Treatment Plant is  abandoned

1996

Biological nutrient removal process for phosphorus removal implemented

1997

Computerized Maintenance Management System implemented

1998

Badger Mill Creek effluent return implemented

2001

Sludge storage lagoon PCB remediation work completed

2002

Purchase of Upper Yahara River treatment plant site.

2004

Certification of Biosolids Environmental Management System