Public Notice: Village of Macy Wastewater Treatment Facility (Located within the Boundaries of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska Reservation)

Publish Date

June 17, 2026

Summary

Proposed Wastewater (NPDES) Permit No. NE0061263 and CWA Section 401(a)(1) Certification

This public notice is issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 (EPA). EPA is seeking comments on a proposed National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, under Section 402 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), and the related CWA Section 401(a)(1) draft certification for the Macy Wastewater Treatment Facility located in the Village of Macy, within the boundaries of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska Reservation.

EPA is seeking written comments regarding this proposed action until July 17, 2026. The address for written comments or to request a public hearing is provided below.

BACKGROUND: NPDES permits to discharge wastewater to waters of the United States are issued under Section 402 of the CWA, 33 U.S.C. Section 1342, subject to certain effluent limitations and conditions.

The facility is located adjacent to Blackbird Creek, approximately 1.7 miles east of the Village of Macy. The facility and the permitted discharge point are located within the boundaries of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska Reservation in the northeastern part of Nebraska.

The facility is a three-cell, controlled discharge lagoon system which treats domestic wastewater from a community population of approximately 1,600 people according to the current operator, several community and Tribal offices, Omaha Nation Public School, and Nebraska Indian Community College - Macy Campus. Generated sanitary wastewater is collected and flows by gravity to the lift station located in the southern part of the village; it is then pumped to the lagoon system.

The original facility was a two-cell lagoon system constructed in the mid-1970s. The facility was modified in 1983 by adding two additional cells and converting the original two cells into one cell. The three lagoon cells are operated in series with a controlled discharge to Blackbird Creek. The surface areas of the three cells (Cell No. 1, Cell No. 2, and Cell No. 3) are 17 acres, 8.54 acres, and 8.54 acres, respectively. The total volume is estimated at 179 acre-feet. The design flow into the lagoon system is 220,000 gallons per day (0.220 MGD), with a design holding time of 180 days prior to discharge. Based on information provided by the operator of the system, within the next year, the system will undergo upgrades to its infrastructure. Within that process, the system will be discharging more frequently to test the integrity of the upgraded system components.

Because the design inflow capacity of the facility is less than one million gallons per day, it is designated as a minor facility. The permit designates one authorized discharge point as the facility’s outfall, which is identified as "Outfall 001".

PROPOSED NPDES PERMIT RENEWAL: The proposed permit renewal will reauthorize existing operations at the facility and conditions for land application. The proposed permit includes technology-based and water-quality-based limitations. Additional information regarding this proposed permit is contained in the Administrative Record, which includes the permit application, proposed permit, statement of basis for the proposed permit, and other pertinent information upon which the proposed permit modification is based.

CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH CWA SECTION 401: The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska does not have authority under CWA Section 401(a)(1) to issue Section 401 Certification for the proposed Macy Wastewater Treatment Facility NPDES permit. Therefore, the EPA acts as the certifying authority for the proposed NPDES permit.

Before EPA may issue the final NPDES permit, EPA must certify under CWA Section 40, 33 U.S.C. Section 1341, that the discharge to be authorized by the proposed permit will comply with the requirements of Sections 301, 302, 303, 306, and 307 of the CWA, including applicable water quality standards and effluent guidelines and limitations. EPA has reviewed the applicable water quality standards and effluent guidelines and has specified limitations and conditions in the permit to ensure compliance with such requirements, as described in the proposed permit and the associated statements of basis. At this time, EPA seeks public comments regarding these proposed agency actions, including the certification that the discharge authorized by the proposed NPDES permit will not violate any applicable water quality standards and/or effluent guidelines and limitations.

ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD AVAILABILITY: The proposed NPDES permit, statement of basis, and the draft CWA Section 401(a)(1) are available for review. The complete Administrative Record documents are available to the public upon request by contacting Anthony Dorsey, EPA Region 7, at 913-551-7426; by email at Dorsey.Anthony@epa.gov; or by mail at: Permits and Wetlands Branch, Water Division, EPA Region 7, 11201 Renner Blvd., Lenexa, KS 66219.

Summary

EPA is seeking comments on a proposed National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, under Section 402 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), and the related CWA Section 401(a)(1) draft certification for the Village of Pender Wastewater Treatment Facility located in the Village of Pender, within the exterior boundaries of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska Reservation.

Program/Statute: Clean Water Act (CWA)

Applicant/Respondent(s): Macy Wastewater Treatment Facility

Proposed action: Public Notice of Proposed Wastewater (NPDES) Permit No. NE0040908 and CWA Section 401(a)(1) Certification

Permit Number

NE0040908