Sauk Prairie Sewer Commission

The Sauk Prairie Sewerage Commission is required to reduce the amount of chlorides it discharges from the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP). When chloride concentrations get too high, they can do damage to the aquatic life in our rivers and streams. The problem with trying to comply with this requirement is that our treatment plant was not designed to remove chlorides. Upgrading the WWTP to remove chlorides would involve significant construction and operation costs. These costs would be passed onto the businesses and residents within our community through a substantial increase in monthly sewer fees.

The primary source of chlorides in wastewater is salt that is used in water softeners. The most cost-effective solution to reducing the amount of chlorides coming into the WWTP is improving the efficiency of water softeners in our homes and/or businesses. New technology has had a great impact on the water softener industry. New water softeners are more efficient at using salt to soften water. Instead of miles per gallon like your car, water softeners can be rated on gallons of water softened for each pound of salt used. Todays’ water softeners can soften more gallons of water for every pound of salt that is used.

For those who have a water softener, we would like you to have them tuned up so to speak. Get them operating at or close to their maximum efficiency. Maybe it’s time to retire the unit you have and replace it with a new, more efficient model. Any improvements that you do to make your water softener more efficient will lower the cost of salt that is purchased to operate them.  This will also help us reduce the chloride levels coming into the WWTP to an acceptable level and avoid expensive WWTP upgrades with the associated sewer rate hikes.

Contact Jerry Endres, Chief Operator Sauk Prairie Sewerage Commission, at 608-643-8741 to discuss ways you can improve your water softener efficiency and save money on your future salt and sewer bills.