David Johnson begins new role as Wastewater Treatment Plant superintendent at SURF
David Johnson took over as the superintendent of the WWTP at SURF in August.
If you want to know the best way to catch trout on a summer afternoon in a Black Hills stream, David Johnson will say you only need one type of bait. “A grasshopper on a string with a hook is the go-to. Nothing else.” Johnson has been floating grasshoppers into eddies full of trout since he was a kid. He grew up in Hill City and has fond memories of fishing in the area.
“I've always liked fishing. I like just being out there and enjoying nature,” said Johnson who took over as the superintendent of the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in August.
Fish need clean water and Johnson has spent most of his career protecting water quality in this part of the country. Before becoming superintendent, he spent nearly 11 years as an operator of the WWTP, where he helped complete daily water testing, monitoring, maintenance, planning, and upkeep on every aspect of the plant. Prior to SURF, he maintained drinking water quality at coal mines in Wyoming and Montana. He started his career helping monitor a drinking water system as the general manager of a campground near Hill City.
As WWTP superintendent he is responsible for making sure SURF maintains its compliance with the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) guidelines. SURF’s treated water discharged into Gold Run Creek is cleaner than the streams in the surrounding environment. Each year since 2008, the South Dakota DANR has recognized the WWTP with the Operation and Maintenance Wastewater Treatment Award. This award is for “outstanding operation of the wastewater system and environmental compliance with its state surface water discharge permit.”
“I get a peace of mind knowing the water we treat here exceeds standards. It's very clean water and the entire ecosystem downstream flourishes because of it,” says Johnson. “We do stream testing annually and the results show that the reproduction of the fish downstream benefit from the water we discharge.”
Most of Johnson’s family, including his parents and three brothers, still live in the Black Hills, so keeping the water clean is important to him. “Yea, this is a rewarding job. What we do here matters for our families and all of us,” said Johnson.
Johnson took over as the head of the WWTP following the retirement of Ken Noren who worked at SURF for 15 years. Since 2008, the SURF WWTP has treated more than 9 billion gallons of water, from two sources—the groundwater in the facility, and overflow from Grizzly Gulch, a nearby reservoir with tailings remaining from Homestake operations.