Waste Lagoon Cleanup Case Study: LaSalle, CO | John Ellis Water
LaSalle’s Miracle Cleanup: How One Small Town Erased a 10-Million Gallon Problem
Ideally, LaSalle, Colorado is known for its rustic quality of life. Tucked away five miles south of Greeley, it is the kind of crime-free, peaceful community where people move to escape the noise of the city. However, for a period of two years, LaSalle was known for only one thing: the smell.
The Stench of Desperation
The town’s 5-acre waste lagoon had failed. The odor was so potent that drivers had to roll up their windows five miles outside of town. The State of Colorado eventually intervened, issuing an ultimatum: clean up the 10.5 million gallons of waste or face a massive fine and a mandatory dredging assessment.
For a small town, the $150,000 price tag for dredging was a potential death sentence for the local economy. Barry Schaffer, the Public Works Director, was desperate for a solution that wouldn’t bankrupt his community.
An Unconventional Solution
Schaffer reached out to John Ellis Water™. The proposed solution involved using a John Ellis E5 machine to treat 1,000 gallons of water, altering it to a “114° bond angle,” and mixing it into the massive lagoon. Additionally, Carl Schneider of Tech AG began a regimen of adding BF888 (Bio Water) weekly to boost oxygen levels and kill pathogens.
The Result?
Experts said the lagoon was dead, but the chemistry proved them wrong.
- In just 24 hours: The smell that had plagued the town for years vanished.
- In six weeks: Health inspectors found that sludge levels had dropped by 30%.
Continued treatment eliminated the waste almost entirely. Thanks to John Ellis Water, the air in LaSalle is fresh again, and the town kept its $150,000.
