The Saddle Creek Retention Treatment Basin (RTB) is a key project in the City of Omaha’s “Clean Solutions For Omaha” program to improve water quality in local rivers and streams. Designed to reduce untreated combined sewer overflows (CSO) into Little Papillion Creek, the 160-MGD RTB will advance the City’s efforts to treat a minimum of 85% of the wet weather flow in a typical year per their Long Term Control Plan’s requirement.

During wet weather events, combined sewage will be diverted from an existing outlet channel to the RTB where it will receive screening, treatment and disinfection before being discharged into the creek. Sodium hypochlorite and sodium bisulfite will be used to achieve an E. coli effluent concentration of 126 org/100 mL or less during the recreational season with essentially no chlorine residual. After a wet weather event, any flows retained within the RTB will be pumped to the interceptor and conveyed to the Papillion Creek Water Resource Recovery Facility for full secondary treatment.

The RTB is being constructed on a very tight and challenging site. A former construction and demolition landfill, the site is crossed by numerous utilities and has an open drain along its northern boundary and an existing road with high pressure natural gas lines and a natural gas vehicle fill facility along its eastern boundary. The soil conditions will require extensive support during and after construction.

3D BIM (Building Information Modeling) design was used to improve cost estimation, building performance, scheduling and project flexibility for the City. Building aesthetics were critical due to the facility’s proximity to the University of Nebraska Omaha’s Baxter Arena and a residential neighborhood. In addition, an odor control system will reduce the potential for releasing odors into the surrounding area. Construction is set to begin in 2019, with completion scheduled for mid-2023.

Visit omahacso.com/projects/saddlecreekrtb to watch a video about the Saddle Creek RTB project and learn more about the “Clean Solutions For Omaha” program.