Isaiah McClendon, Summer 2017

The Wastewater process plays a major role in our everyday lives. It is the reason we are able to take showers, brush our teeth, or wash dishes. There are other very direct benefits of wastewater treatment. Some of which include fisheries and wildlife habitats; critical habitats for hundreds of species of fish and other aquatic life. Migratory water birds also use the areas for resting and feeding. Other benefits are recreation, quality of life & health concerns. This is because if it is not properly cleaned, water can carry disease.

Since we live, work and play so close to water, harmful bacteria have to be removed to make water safe. We don’t really think about its importance or how it gets to our home’s and businesses, we just expect it to be there when we turn on the faucet. However, there is an entire process that water goes through before it gets to you. This process is one of the most essential parts to our life. We can all drink water safely because of this process and we need to know its importance. When this whole process is done, the water is then delivered to our houses by pipes underground.

It all starts off with the storm water runoff and wastewater from your homes and businesses. This rain water and waste water is collected in a combined sewer pipe underground. From here some of the water gets distributed out to a lake but a large majority of it is going to a wastewater treatment plant. When the remaining water goes to the plant, it first goes through bar screens. Bar screens remove the plastics and other articles that got through the influent. It then goes through a grit remover where it removes any sand or dirt that is still in the water.

After the grit remover, it travels to the primary settling tank where the sludge settles out of the water. The sludge is then delivered to a furnace where it is incinerated and is used as an ash. Then comes the aeration tank, here the tank releases air into the tank with so much force that it makes bacteria grow. Then it goes to the secondary clarifier where the water needs to settle again and gets rid of more sludge. The process is almost complete, but before it’s finished it goes through disinfection.

At disinfection, the water goes through a thorough cleaning process involving chlorine and fluorine. This process is called the disinfection process and it is used to kill or inactivate harmful microorganisms. After they add the chlorine they add another chemical to get rid of the chlorine so it will be safer for fish. It is then released into a lake where the water treatment plant will pick it up.