The plant is designed for 17MGD, 35,000 lbs BOD, AND 38,000 lbs TSS. It currently receives 9.2 MGD, 19,500 lbs BOD, and 21,200 lbs TSS
Upon entering the plant, the wastewater passes through a pair of escalator punch plate screens. The raw sewage is screened using fine screening technology with an opening of approximately six millimeters.
The solids removed by fine screens are washed to remove organic material, dried and compacted to remove the free water, and loaded into a storage dumpster. All of the equipment and facilities are located indoors.
The wastewater then flows to an aerated grit chamber.
The wastewater then flows to the primary clarifier. Floats from the top of the clarifier and the settled sludge from the bottom are pumped to the primary digesting structures.
These digesting structures are an anaerobic type and utilize temperature range (98 F) for digestion and stabilization of sludge. These digesting structures produce methane gas which is used for heating the digesting structures and support building.
Following aeration, the flow passes to the secondary clarifier providing a resting stage where the microbial solids "clump" together and settle.
The settled solids return (underflow) to the secondary pumps station and remix with primary effluent, thus creating activated sludge. A portion of this re-circulated settled sludge is wasted daily.
After clarification, the wastewater (overflow) enters the chlorine contact chambers where it is disinfected with chlorine gas. Following disinfection, the residual chlorine is neutralized with sodium bi-sulfate and discharged to the Snake River.
Following anaerobic digestion, the sludge now known as "Bio Solids" is further stabilized in a storage lagoon and easily meets all the "Class B" requirements set forth in the 40 CFR 503 regulations.
A dredge is used to pump the Bio Solids into tanker trucks
The Bio Solids are used as a fertilizer and soil conditioner on farmland in the area.
The Wastewater Treatment Plant has a laboratory that tests for pollutants to determine the efficiency of the operation and the protection of the Snake River.
