State Orders Proper Closing of Abandoned Sewage Lagoons in Goddard

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued administrative orders instructing several Goddard-area sewage lagoon permit holders to close their abandoned lagoons according to accepted practices and procedures. KDHE staff have determined the lagoons pose a risk to the environment and to the public.

The affected sewage lagoons are located at the Ladel Manor Mobile Home Park; the Diamond Spur Mobile Home Park; the Wichita Regency Mobile Home Park; and the Wichita KOA Campground, all in the Goddard area.

Operating permits issued for each of the locations stipulated that the lagoons were temporary facilities. When nearby interceptor sewage lines to the West Sedgwick County Sewer District were connected to the permit holders' local lines, discharge of wastewater into the lagoons ceased. The permit holders were then obligated to follow a six-step procedure for properly closing their lagoons to prevent the formation of vermin habitats.

KDHE staff sent numerous letters to each of the permit holders notifying them that KDHE was aware that their local lines had been connected to the interceptors, and that discharge into the lagoons had ceased. The letters reminded the permit holders that their lagoons would need to be properly closed by various deadlines, and their permits revoked since they would no longer be operating the lagoons. Inspections confirmed that none of the four permit holders completed the steps to properly close their lagoons.

When discharge into a lagoon ceases, the water level in the abandoned lagoon cells gradually falls. Trees, cattails, and other water-tolerant plants will then grow in the bottom and along the sides of the cells. This plant growth provides a suitable habitat for mosquitos, rats, mice, and other disease-carrying vermin.

The prospect of the Goddard lagoons developing into vermin habitats is troublesome since they, like most others, are located near places occupied by people. The accepted six-step procedure recommended by KDHE for closing such facilities has been demonstrated to prevent the development of vermin habitats.