SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — South Tahoe Public Utility District is replacing the wastewater pump station located at the corner of Tahoe Keys and Venice Boulevard.

A press release from the district said this pump station transports all the wastewater from Emerald Bay, Fallen Leaf Lake, the Y, and Tahoe Keys, to the wastewater treatment plant. The current pump station is 60 years old and needs to be replaced to improve the reliability of this critical piece of infrastructure and protect Lake Tahoe.

STPUD’s sewer system is gravity fed. While flushing the toilet or taking a shower, the water that runs down the drain flows by gravity to one of 40 wastewater pump stations in South Lake Tahoe. Inside the pump station is a wet well that receives and temporarily stores wastewater. As the wet well fills, pumps turn on and wastewater is pumped under pressure to the treatment plant.

The Tahoe Keys pump station is one of the five largest wastewater pump stations in South Lake Tahoe. Replacing this pump station requires a new 20-foot excavation, installation of a new wet well, three new pumps, and connections from the new station to the existing sewer system, including new pipes and manholes on Tahoe Keys Boulevard.

Due to the environmentally sensitive area and high groundwater, a generator must run 24 hours, seven days a week to keep groundwater from flooding the project site. The removed groundwater is then filtered and discharged into the sewer system.

To date, the wet well has been successfully installed and new pipes and manholes are currently being installed on Tahoe Keys Boulevard. This stage of the project now requires bypass pumping all day and night. This will pump the wastewater around the station to allow for the new station to be connected to the existing system without interrupting transport of wastewater to the treatment plant. This work will occur seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is expected to run through mid-September.

Construction projects come with unavoidable disturbances and South Tahoe Public Utility District said it is working with the contractor to minimize impacts. Tahoe Keys Boulevard is closed between Venice Drive and Monterey Drive and a detour has been set up on Danube Drive. A Tier 4 generator in a sound attenuation enclosure is being used to minimize emissions and noise. Best management practices are being implemented for dust control as well.

For more information, contact the project manager at 530-544-6474, ext. 6258.