In 2001, ILRW was contacted by the City of Gruver to help find a solution to their sewer system problems. This was ILRW's first wastewater project.

ILRW partnered with McClure Engineering from Fort Dodge, Iowa to help find a creative solution that was both technically and financially possible--meaning ILRW could afford to build and maintain the system and the residents could afford the monthly bill.

A conventional gravity collection system that flows to a two-cell lagoon was completed in 2004. The mainlines were installed by means of directional drilling on-grade.

The pictures to the left show the lagoon site (top) and installation of a service line (bottom).

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The City of Greenville's wastewater system was installed in 2005. Greenville's sewers system was out of code and needed to be compliant with the Iowa Department of Natural Resource's standards. ILRW partnered with North American Wetland Engineering (NAWE) from Minnesota to design this system.

Initial discussions between Greenville's city council and ILRW began in 2002. Several options were weighed, but the best solution was to install a small diameter gravity collection system to a subsurface horizontal flow wetland with continuous discharge to Willow Creek subsurface.

Greenville made history in Iowa as this was the first horizontal flow wetland in the state. The treatment facility is located in the city limits, just yards away from the city hall and residents.

• 95% of the mainlines were directionally bored
• The longest bore in town was 960 feet long

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ILRW's third wastewater project began with the City of Ayrshire contacting ILRW in 2006.

Ayrshire's sewer system is a low pressure collection system. Individual grinder pump stations at each residence pump the wastewater to a two-cell lagoon.

The pictures to the left show one of the lagoons at the lagoon site (top) and installation of a service line and grinder pump that was put in at each residence (bottom).

Ayrshire's wastewater system was completed in 2008.

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The city of Truesdale also provided another first method of treatment technology- at least for ILRW.

The collection system installed was a small diameter gravity collection system (like Greenville's), but ILRW tried a new tactic with the treatment system - a recirculating media filter process that continuously discharges to a farm pond. What this means is the raw septic tank effluent makes mulitiple passes through textile fabric, which acts as a media for biological growth. Once the wastewater has reached an acceptable level of treatment, it is then discharged to the farm pond.

Truesdale's wastewater system was completed in 2008.

The pictures to the left show the farm pond (top) and the treatment site (bottom).

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In 2008, ILRW completed the Dickens wastewater system.

This system was setup like Ayrshire's wastewater system. There is a low pressure collection system with individual grinder pump stations at each residence that pumps the wastewater to a two-cell lagoon.

The pictures on the left show the lagoon.

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In October 2009, the City of Dolliver's wastewater system was completed.

This system closely resembles the Truesdale facility  in all parts except for the discharge system.

The collection system installed is a small diameter gravity collection system with the treatment system using a recirculating media filter process that continuously discharges to a river. What this means is the raw septic tank effluent makes mulitiple passes through textile fabric, which acts as a media for biological growth. Once the wastewater has reached an acceptable level of treatment, it is then discharged to the Des Moines River.

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The City of Archer's wastewater system was completed in 2010.

There are individual septic tanks at each location that utilize a gravity collection system to get the wastewater to a two-stage recirulating media filter treatment system with continuous discharge to a tributary of the West Branch Mill Creek.

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Fish Lake's wastewater system was completed in 2011.

The area known as Fish Lake, is located in Jackson County Minnesota near Windom.

At each service location, there is a low pressure grinder pump to collect the wastewater and pump it to a lift station. From the lift station, the waste is pumped to the City of Windom for treatment.

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The City of Webb's wastewater system was completed in 2012.

There are individual septic tanks located at each home with a pump inside the home that pushes the wastewater to the treatment facility. The treatment facility consists of a 3-cell lagoon with controlled discharge.

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The City of Melvin's wastewater system was completed in 2013.

Melvin has a small diameter gravity collection system with some low-pressure sewer collection pipe forcing to the gravity pipe of the collection system. All services have septic tanks that gravity or pressure flow through the collection mainlines. Some septic tanks have an effluent pump inside of them. The collection mains then flow to a lift station that pushes the wastewater through the forced main to the treatment facility.

The treatment facility is a three-cell lagoon with controlled discharge.

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The City of Lu Verne's wastewater system was completed in 2014.

A septic tank effluent pressure collection system is in place in Lu Verne. What this means is each service has a septic tank with an effluent pump inside that pumps the watewater to the treatment facility.

The treatment facility is a three-cell lagoon with controlled discharge.

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The Loon Lake wastewater system located on the north side of the lake was constructed in 2020.

A septic tank effluent pressure collection system is in place at Loon Lake. What this means is each service has a septic tank with an effluent pump inside that pumps the watewater to the treatment site.

The treatment facility is small community leach fields.

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