Sara Heger is a researcher and instructor in the Onsite Sewage Treatment Program at the University of Minnesota, where she also serves as faculty in the Water Resources Science program. A former president of the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association, Heger has spent the past 25 years conducting research and delivering education and technical support to a wide range of audiences, including students, homeowners, small communities, onsite wastewater professionals, and local government agencies.
Heger leads the University of Minnesota’s onsite wastewater research program and contributes monthly articles to Onsite Installer and Pumper magazines. Her research focuses on applied research related to chlorides, decentralized wastewater treatment, and milkhouse wastewater treatment. Heger is an active member of the NSF International Committee on Wastewater Treatment Systems and currently chairs Minnesota’s Onsite Sewage Treatment System Advisory Committee. She received the Richard J. Otis Industry Achievement Award in 2025 for her significant work with NOWRA and within the onsite decentralized industry. She holds a BS in biosystems and agricultural engineering, as well as an MS and PhD in water resources science.