Community Well & Septic, and Plumbing
The Mission
To upgrade the standard of living by providing complying septic systems and potable water supply from private wells. To be the first line of defense against disease prevention. To serve enrolled Oneida Nation members/entities with plumbing related services within the Oneida Nation boundaries and to protect groundwater.
The Vision
Our vision is to use our knowledge and skills to train Oneida members in becoming licensed plumbers thus empowering them to self-perform plumbing work to support the plumbing needs for our Nation’s facilities, departments and members.
Community Well & Septic Department refers to service and assistance with emergency projects: emergency private well water facilities, emergency private wastewater facilities within the Oneida reservation boundary. The primary focus of the Community Well & Septic Department is to protect the groundwater, the Well Abandonment Law, inventory of septic & well water systems sites and preventative maintenance. In addition to Community Well & Septic manages the Indian Health Service Scattered Sites projects and the POWTS Replacement Project.
History of Department
During the 1970s and early 1980s, many homes within the Oneida community relied on unsewered and poorly managed, on-site waste disposal systems, creating public health and environmental concerns. The Community Well & Septic (CWS) Department was established in the mid-1980s to protect the health of Oneida Nation members and safeguard the environment.
Gerald (Jerry) Kurowski served as the first CWS Manager. During his tenure, funding from the Indian Health Service (IHS) was administered through CWS to construct water supply and wastewater disposal facilities. Jerry oversaw the installation of many of the community’s water and sewer projects, significantly advancing infrastructure for the Oneida Nation. CWS primarily focused on installing wells, septic systems, and water and sewer laterals for individual Oneida Nation members. To support this work, CWS relied heavily on the Plumbing Department and outside vendors for well drilling and soil evaluations. In early 2009, Jerry retired, and Master Plumber Dennis Johnson accepted the position of CWS Manager. Until 2016, CWS operated as a two-person department.
In 2016, the Division of Public Works (DPW) restructured combining CWS with the Plumbing Department creating Community Well & Septic and Plumbing (WSP). Dennis Johnson serves as manager of the consolidated departments. This merger significantly expanded the department’s workload and responsibilities. In addition to IHS-funded well and septic projects, the department became responsible for plumbing maintenance, repairs, inspections, and projects for all Oneida Nation buildings under the care of DPW. WSP also provides plumbing support to the Engineering Department, Gaming Operations, Oneida Elders through Aging and Disability (A&D), and for the Comprehensive Housing Division (CHD), for maintenance of residential units, rehabilitation projects, and new home construction.
In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, WSP discontinued private plumbing services funded directly by the homeowner. The department now provides services to homeowners only when work is funded through an Oneida Nation program.
Today, the department consists of six field workers, one administrative staff member, and one manager.
