PRESS RELEASE - Vista Lago Development - Smith Lake Alabama

​PRESS RELEASE #2
​Cullman, AL – July 31, 2026

Smith Lake Vista Lago Wastewater Treatment Plant Designed to Release Water 20 Times Cleaner Than Conventional Septic Tank Runoff
BREMEN, AL
www.VistaLagoSmithLake.com

The Vista Lago development team today released detailed information about the project's wastewater treatment plant, which is designed to release treated water that is 20 times cleaner than conventional septic tank runoff, according to the project's engineering team.

The Vista Lago wastewater treatment plant will discharge treated water at least five times cleaner than the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) permit standards through an outfall located approximately one-third of a mile from the Ryan Creek (Smith Lake) shoreline.

The figures were released in response to claims circulating locally about the project, including the claim that raw sewage will be dumped into Smith Lake.

"No raw sewage will ever be released into this creek or this lake," said Nathan Stoops of Maverick Construction. "The permit does not allow it, and the plant is not built to do it. I am a Smith Lake resident, and I share the public's passion for our lake. We simply want the public to be provided all the facts."
Stoops also noted that every drop passes through biological treatment, ammonia removal, settling, and disinfection before it is released approximately one-third of a mile from the Ryan Creek shoreline.
The treated water will travel overland before reaching the lake at a flow of 10 to 15 gallons per minute, less than what a single summer rainstorm sends down the same slope.

The plant uses extended aeration, a treatment method built on technology invented in 1914 and used in wastewater treatment ever since. Smaller systems of this type were developed in the 1950s and are now common across Alabama, with many operating under the same state permits and standards that apply to Vista Lago.

"There is nothing experimental here," Stoops said. "This is the same biological process running in municipal sewer systems across this state, just on a smaller scale. The real choice was never between this plant and nothing. It was between this plant and 107 septic tanks on steep, rocky ground above the lake."
For comparison, a septic tank removes only 25 to 40 percent of the waste that enters it, and the remainder goes into the soil, where, on lakefront slopes, it moves downhill toward the water. No one tests it, no one monitors it, and no reports are filed with the state.

The Vista Lago plant will be operated by an independent, state-licensed operator rather than by the developers.

Under the ADEM permit, the operator tests the water weekly, sends samples to a laboratory, and files monthly reports that become public records. If the plant falls out of compliance, ADEM can require repairs, impose fines, and issue binding legal orders.

The permit was issued following ADEM's full public notice and appeal process, as required by state law, with the comment period and appeal window open to the public regardless of county of residence.

An attached fact sheet (<--click the link) provides additional information and answers to frequently asked questions about the Vista Lago wastewater treatment plant.

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​​PRESS RELEASE #1
Cullman, AL – July 17, 2026

Vista Lago Development Clarifies ADEM Permit for Smith Lake Development
www.VistaLagoSmithLake.com

Our team has recently become aware of some public statements being made regarding the ADEM permitted septic system at Vista Lago. As full-time residents of Smith Lake, we would be equally concerned if we heard the claims being presented. In the spirit of full transparency and with a desire to be in good community with our neighbors, we would like to respond by clarifying the scope and nature of our permit. 

Our active ADEM permit does NOT:

• Authorize direct discharge into Smith Lake.
• Authorize raw sewer discharge on land or water. 

Our ADEM permit authorizes the site to:

• Manufacture, install, and operate a commercial STEP septic system.
• Release treated effluent, held to strict ADEM water quality standards, via discharge into a roughly 30-acre wooded parcel that will never be developed.

​Additional Details:

• The STEP system is a scale version of a municipal wastewater treatment plant. This technology has never been installed on Smith Lake because of the high cost associated with fabricating and installing the system. Our team chose to incur the multiple 7 figure cost, because we see a tremendous value to the community in not adding another large scale drip field system that would drain in the lake. 
• Treated effluent (clear water) will be discharged 1/3 of a mile inland from the lake.
• Effluent standards for our STEP system are 5X cleaner than required by ADEM.
• In an abundance of caution, and outside of the ADEM required scope, effluent also discharges into an engineered bio-retention area designed with specific aquatic plants that will soak up any surface water not absorbed by the wooded ecosystem. 

Vista Lago Development also confirms its active ADEM erosion control permit is in good standing with no violations. Our team maintains a close working relationship with ADEM, with weekly conversations and frequent site inspections. The site was inspected this week, with no violations noted and a clean bill of health granted for continued site development.

Even though all active permits have already processed through a period of public comment, the Vista Lago development team is working to schedule a community Q&A session to address any lingering concerns. The time, date, and location for this event will be announced in the next few days. 

For additional details or questions, please contact lead developer Nathan Stoops; [email protected].  

Visit www.vistalagosmithlake.com

Added 7/31/26 - Also check out their recently published fact sheet online.  

Originally published 7/17/26.  Updated 7/31/26.