Superior begins upgrades to sewer system

The town of Superior’s long-awaited sewer system improvement project is officially in motion, with construction that began in March and scheduled for completion by November of this year.

This $5.7 million project involves several major upgrades, including: Sludge removal and disposal from two lagoon cells. Repairing dike settlement in the lagoons. Installing new liners and a baffle curtain. Upgrading the aeration system with new blowers, diffusers, and a blower building. Constructing a new headworks building, including SCADA controls for both the headworks and blower systems. Installing a UV treatment system and water service infrastructure. Building a two-story screening system in front of the deep lift station to protect the pumps.

City Council members Bessie Spangler, Wanda James and Stephanie Quick recently got a behind-the-scenes look at the project during a guided tour led by Andy Cadman, the town’s Public Works assistant. Cadman, along with Superintendent Rodney Goings, are Superior’s certified state water and wastewater operators. 

“Two and a half years ago, the DEQ told us the lagoons needed to be desludged, relined, and reaerated,” Cadman explained during the tour. “So, the Town began seeking grants and the project went out to bid. Diamond Construction out of Helena won the contract and started work about a month ago.”

So far, one lagoon cell has been completely desludged. All sludge from the western cell was transferred to the eastern cell, allowing the system to remain operational during the rebuild. The sludge contains not only organic waste but trash and foreign debris like rags, trash and rocks and must be carefully treated. The treated sludge will be dewatered, ground, and hauled to the Missoula landfill. 

“Everything will be landfill-ready before it’s transported,” Cadman said. 

The last time the lagoon liners were replaced was in 1998, and their 20-year warranty has since expired. The DEQ determined the improvements must be completed soon, and they will be.

A key element of the upgrade is giving the biological treatment process, specifically, the bacteria, more space to work effectively. 

“Basically, you’re feeding biomass-consuming bacteria with oxygen,” said Cadman. “That’s what the blowers do, they aerate the water so the aerobic bacteria can break down waste. There are also anaerobic bacteria in deeper parts of the pond that use carbon dioxide and nitrogen as fuel and produce oxygen. It’s a natural process, and we just monitor it to make sure everything is functioning properly.”

Cadman noted that they sample the water being discharged once a week to ensure it meets all state and federal standards,” he added. “We strive to the best of our ability to take care of the (Clark Fork) river.” 

The new blowers will be housed in a dedicated aeration building, which will be more energy-efficient and significantly quieter than the previous setup. There are currently 464 water and sewer service connections in Superior, with 99% of them connected to both systems. A few residents with private wells were grandfathered decades ago. Superior’s lagoon system was installed in the early 1960s, as the town began transitioning away from septic tanks. 

“Wastewater lagoons have been around since ancient Egypt,” Cadman said. “They’re simple, but they work.”

Diamond Construction is working closely with a range of subcontractors, both local and out of state. To avoid disrupting local activities, they’ve carefully staged equipment away from the baseball fields. Once the Little League season ends, the equipment will be moved to the main construction site for the duration of the year. 

Ryan Seyler, project engineer with RPA in Helena, is leading the engineering side. While he’s worked on many wastewater projects over the past six years, this is the first one he’s seen through from start to finish. Mike Greeno and Quin Stesiak with Merrell Bros in Kokomo, Indiana have been on site in the sludge removal and cleanup.

One of the project’s most advanced features is the UV treatment system, which has its own dedicated building. 

“This system gives the water an extra layer of purification before it’s released into the river,” Cadman explained. This is similar to the system in use at the Quartz Rest Stop near Tarkio.

With about $525,000 already invested, the Town of Superior is committed to seeing the project through on time. While there’s still a lot of work ahead, the team remains confident that the improvements will be completed before the end of 2025. 

“This is a massive project,” Cadman said. “But it’s going to give us the infrastructure we need for decades to come.”

    Mike Greeno with Merrell Bros., Ryan Seyler with RPA Engineering, Quin Stesiak with Merrell Bros., Bessie Spangler, Ward 1, Andy Cadman, the Town of Superior Public Works Assistant, Stephanie Quick, Ward 3, and Wanda James, Ward 4, stand next to the UV treatment building on a tour of Superior’s Sewer System Improvement Project. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)