Wastewater system upgrades underway at Savenac
The historic Savenac Nursey remains closed during the summer as a new wastewater treatment center is being installed and has disrupted public use until October. (Forest Service photo)
A critical infrastructure upgrade is in progress near the historic Savenac Nursery District, where a new wastewater system is being installed to better serve the growing number of travelers and maintain public health and environmental standards.
The project, funded by the Great American Outdoors Act with an investment of $982,123, is designed to replace a decades-old wastewater system originally installed in 1978. The associated water system, installed in 1985, is also part of the broader infrastructure update. While no formal life expectancy was originally documented, the replacement reflects both age and increasing usage demands, especially with roughly 2,500 people using the I-90 rest areas each day, according to officials.
Some local residents had questions about the scope and routing of the new system, particularly rumors of infrastructure extending beneath Interstate 90.
Clarifying this, officials explained that only the well, which currently sits on the south side of I-90, pumps water north to the main compound. The wastewater system, however, does not cross under the interstate. The well will continue to be in service, and the wastewater system will be localized on the north side, supporting essential services without crossing major transport routes.
Although some other rest areas in the region, such as Quartz and the Town of Superior, feature ultraviolet (UV) light purification for treated water, this system will not include UV treatment. The treated water is not intended to be potable; rather, it meets the environmental and sanitary requirements for wastewater management in a high-use public facility.
The project began earlier this year and is on schedule to be completed by Oct. 1, 2025. One general contractor and a few subcontractors are handling the construction, although the exact number of workers involved is not finalized.
The location of the project, near the Savenac Nursery Historic District, adds historical significance to the infrastructure investment. Established in 1907 and once among the largest USDA Forest Service nurseries in the western U.S., Savenac produced over 12 million seedlings annually until operations ceased in 1969. The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains a key interpretive and recreational site along I-90.
As infrastructure ages across the United States, projects like this are becoming increasingly important and not just for function, but for preserving access to historic, high-traffic public spaces like Savenac and its surrounding rest areas.