Taking care of the city's waste products is a big deal in Lincoln. The city waste treatment plant is a multimillion-dollar operation aimed at serving residents of the city with effective removal of waste.

The large facility on the city's south side is designed to remove waste and cleanse the water product that flows into Salt Creek, using a natural microbial process where basically the good bugs eat the bad bugs and what comes out is clean, clear water.

Pictures by Nila Smith

The rubicon is a man-made underground stream that flows through the city, collecting waste and storm water runoff.

This grayish-black muck is raw sewage coming into the waste treatment plant via the rubicon.

Sewage passes into the plant through the headworks.

Trash such as tin cans and plastic bottles is removed first.

Air is forced into the water in the blower building.

Waste then moves on to the aeration tanks.

After going through the belt filter press, water goes to the clarifier ponds.

After being treated with chlorine, clear water is released into Salt Creek.

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