Montezuma's Sanitary Sewer department is responsible for the sanitary sewer collection system and the wastewater treatment process. Each day, the Montezuma treatment system discharges approximately 275,000 gallons of treated water.
The City of Montezuma completed a $1 million sanitary sewer rehab project in 2016. Funded in part by a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant, the project provided for the lining of several blocks of dilapidated sewer pipes and the construction of a relief sewer lift station on Dallas Street. This project was aimed and reducing inflow and infiltration (stormwater and ground water leaking into the sanitary sewer system). Reducing I & I lowers the gallons that must be treated by the wastewater plant. The City concurrently launched a sump pump disconnection program, enforcing the existing City ordinance that disallows the plumbing of sump pump discharges into the sanitary sewer. Click here for information on the sump pump disconnection program.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is the regulating body that manages wastewater systems in Iowa. The City of Montezuma was issued a new permit in 2015, drastically lowering the allowable levels of e coli, ammonia and other nutrients. A copy of the City's new permit can be found here.
Superintendent Bret Warden manages the Sanitary Sewer department. Warden holds a Grade 2 Wastewater Treatment license.
