For most people in New Glarus, wastewater is an out-of-sight, out-of-mind proposition. Flush the toilet, drain the sink and whatever disappeared is somebody else’s problem.

That somebody includes New Glarus Public Works Director Scott McNett and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Rustin Whitney, who oversee a system that quietly collects, treats and disposes of nearly everything residents and businesses send down a drain.

And quiet is generally a good sign.

“Most people flush the toilet or put stuff down the drain, and they never think about it again,” McNett said. “If they’re thinking about it, more likely something’s not good.”

There may be no more appropriate description of wastewater work. When everything is flowing properly, nobody gives it a second thought.

The subject may lend itself to a few No. 2 jokes, but the infrastructure behind it is serious business — and expensive business.