The Saddle Creek High Rate Treatment Basin (HRTB) is a milestone achievement in the City of Omaha’s $2-billion Clean Solutions for Omaha program to reduce the impacts of combined sewer overflows (CSO) on local waterways by 2037. As the first remote HRTB built in Nebraska, the facility captures combined sewage from the CSO 205 outfall and stores and treats it during storm events. Wade Trim provided design and construction management for this novel solution to improve water quality. The project received a national Grand Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) as well as recognition on the state level from ACEC Nebraska.

The 3-million-gallon, underground, concrete basin provides “equivalent to primary” treatment of flows up to 160 million gallons per day (MGD) before discharging to the Little Papillion Creek. During extreme storm events, the HRTB can screen, remove grit, and disinfect flows up to 320 MGD. Since storm events are highly variable, the Saddle Creek HRTB was designed to operate efficiently and effectively over a wide range of conditions without adversely affecting the collection and treatment system. Extensive hydraulic modeling and development of process control strategies enabled use of real time controls and smart sewer technology to optimize flow management. The HRTB’s innovative gravity-flow-through design moves flows in and out of the concrete facility without major pumping.

The project site was originally a construction debris landfill which was remediated to remove over 330,000 tons of piping, street debris, and fill material from demolition of aging water and gas pipes in the City. An extensive support of excavation system was used to enable the excavation to be completed within the tight confines of the site. Deep foundation support systems were used to address soil conditions and support the underground, reinforced concrete structure. The facility met Consent Order and budgetary requirements, demonstrates new wet weather storage and treatment technology to Nebraska, and aesthetically compliments the highly developed surrounding area.

(Pictured second from left to right) Project team members Steve D’Alecy (Wade Trim), Jake Hansen (City of Omaha), John Weiland (Wade Trim), and Michael Zelensky (City of Omaha) celebrated the national Grand Award with ACEC staff at their Engineering Excellence Awards Gala on May 20, 2025, in Washington, DC.