Why is the study focusing on the Wakarusa River instead of the Kaw River?
In previous work, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) had more stringent discharge limits on the Wakarusa River than on the Kansas (Kaw) River. However, with KDHE’s impending surface water nutrient reduction plan, the discharge limits on the Kaw and Wakarusa Rivers will be similar. The results of the 2003 Wastewater Master Plan showed that it was more economical to expand Lawrence’s capacity to process sewage by adding a new plant to the south along the Wakarusa River rather than increasing the capacity of the existing plant along the Kaw River due to the cost of a sewage pipeline delivery system.
