About
For more than 40 years, the Steuben Lakes Regional Waste District has been dedicated to water quality management in our region, and today the District is responsible for the central sewer system. We are dedicated to protecting the Pigeon River & Fawn River watershed — and our way of life — for generations to come.
Brief History of SLRWD
-
The Steuben Lakes Regional Waste District was established in February 1975 with the help of the Steuben County Lakes Council and Jackson, Jamestown, Millgrove & Pleasant Township Trustees to help prevent sanitary sewer pollution into the lakes and streams.
-
Beginning in 1975 through 2005 the District operated and maintained large sewer filter beds to treat the sanitary waste that was pumped from each home. This type of system is referred to as a septic tank and effluent pumping (STEP) system, which still serves three areas serving approximately 250 customers. This was the largest alternative sanitary sewer system in the State of Indiana.
-
In 1998, the District saw the need to change from the filter bed type of treatment to a conventional type of treatment to service the growing needs of the community it serviced. The construction of the new treatment plant and sanitary sewer collection system was completed in May of 2005. The construction of the treatment plant involved a 1 million-gallon per day wastewater treatment plant, two-day polishing pond, ultraviolet disinfecting system, bio-solids processing facility and an administration and laboratory building.
-
A Lake Pleasant development group petitioned the District in December 2006 to become a part of the District. This was installed and turned over to the District, which currently added 24 new customers with the potential total of 295 customers. Additionally, the Town of Orland, Wall, and Brown Lake petitioned to be included in the District which was approved May 10, 2007. The District then expanded the Lake Pleasant sanitary sewer collection system after two lake associations petitioned their Township Trustee to be a part of the Steuben Lakes Regional Waste District. The Lake Pleasant Sanitary Sewer Extension Project was completed in November 2016, which added 113 new customers to the District.
-
The District serves approximately 5,109 connections to the sanitary sewer collection and treatment system. The approximate current value of the sanitary sewer collection and treatment plant system is $61 Million.
Areas We Serve
The District’s service area includes Millgrove, Jamestown, Jackson, and Pleasant Townships in Steuben County and the service area extends into Greenfield Township, LaGrange County and Gilead Township, Michigan bordering north of Lake Pleasant. The District serves approximately 5,109 connections to the sanitary sewer collection and treatment system.
To petition for your community to be added to the district, contact our office at 260-665-9865.
Schedule a facility tour
Our plant operators are available to lead educational tours that will provide your group with an overview of the process wastewater takes after it goes down the drain and before it is returned to local waterways. A tour is a great way for groups to learn more about a key piece to protecting our lakes.
To schedule your tour, contact the office at 260-665-9865 or send an email request to cmasters@slrwd.org. Please include your preferred date and how many people will be attending. We look forward to hosting your group!