Wastewater

Wastewater Treatment Plant Graphic

General Sewer Plan Agency Review

Watch our video on Sewer System Investments! 

Our Wastewater treatment plant is nestled on the shore of the Chinese Garden Lagoon in the North Beach neighborhood. The City’s wastewater division is responsible for wastewater collection and treatment. Each year the plant treats 286-million (800k daily) gallons of wastewater from homes and businesses which travel through underground pipes, to our wastewater treatment facility where the wastewater is treated by removing contaminants, solids, and harmful bacteria that meets all regulations from the Department of Ecology before being released into the Straits of Juan De Fuca. Routine activities include: bio-solids dewatering, laboratory sample collection, testing and analysis, process control, and regulatory reporting.

The City maintains more than 77 miles of sanitary sewer lines, has 120 manholes, 6 lift stations, and 3 emergency generators.

Wastewater Collection 
Wastewater collection activities are performed to safely convey sewage from individual residences and buildings to the Wastewater Treatment Plant. At each building, sewage flows by gravity or is pumped by an on-site pump station to a gravity sewer main located in the city right-of-way. At the right-of-way, sewage flows by gravity until it enters a city pump station. The pump station pumps the sewage along to another pump station or to the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Pump Stations
Lift stations are used to overcome elevation differentials in a collection system. They force sewage from a low elevation to a higher one through a force main. Larger lift stations are equipped with a backup generator providing instantaneous start-ups during power failures. Pumps force wastewater from the downtown area to a higher elevation where it eventually flows to the wastewater treatment facility.

Preventative Maintenance
City crews perform preventative maintenance that allows for optimal performance and is less expensive than emergency repairs. Properly operating sewer lines provide uninterrupted customer service and environmental protection from overflows. A comprehensive maintenance program includes numerous activities, such as:

  • Visual inspections for cracks, corrosion, and damage
  • TV the sewer lines for conditions, blockages, roots, and wear
  • The introduction of expanding biodegradable foam to kill and inhibit root growth
  • Jet washing and cutting to remove any growth, roots, grease, and gravel
  • Lift stations are used to overcome elevation differentials in a collection system. They force sewage from a low elevation to a higher one through a force main. Larger lift stations are equipped with a backup generator providing instantaneous start-ups during power failures. Pumps force wastewater from the downtown area to a higher elevation where it eventually flows to the wastewater treatment facility.

 

Award-Winning Operations
The City’s Wastewater Treatment plant has been the recipient of the "Outstanding Performance Award" by the Washington State Department of Ecology for 25 consecutive years. The Wastewater Division is staffed with 3 full-time employees, who operate and maintain the treatment plant and sewage pump stations. 

Read the City's 2023 Proclamation for Wastewater Treatment Day!

Report an Issue
If you have a wastewater/bio-solids issue you’d like to report, please visit our Report a Concern page and fill out the concern form.

 

The below photos show the process for wastewater treatment:
(hover over photo for a description)

Click any thumbnail image to view a slideshow

Wall of awards for the plant having achieved 100% compliance from the Department of Ecology for the past 23 years
The Wastewater Treatment office, this is where our lab and dewatering building are
One of our operators checking how the process is going
Snap shot of the operating system that lets us know how the plant is running
Every morning samples are taken to measure how long it takes the solids to settle
This is a sample of the water that comes in prior to being treated (influent, what gets flushed down the drains)
This is a sample of the treated water that is discharged to the Strait of Juan de Fuca (effluent)
Comparing drinking water, influent and effluent water samples.
Our lab, where data is processed and analyzed to keep the plant running smoothly and in compliance with current regulations
Lab equipment: Glass bottles are used for testing samples
Lab equipment: Furnaces for processing samples
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) samples in the incubator for a five day test
Lab Equipment: Oxygen sensor
Distiller to make distilled water for use in the lab
VFD’s that control influent pumps
This is one of three influent pumps that pump influent to the headworks
Mechanical bar screen is used to remove garbage that should not have been flushed. All influent passes through this screen.
Aeration ditches where billions of microbes are working to clean up the influent
A closer look at the aeration ditches
Another view of the aeration ditches
The Clarifier where the solids and the water are separated
Clarifier with clean water going over the weir, headed to the chlorine contact basin
City operators sludge judging the clarifier to determine the depth of the sludge blanket
There is about 3 feet of blanket
Looking out at the chlorine contact basin
Water slowly moves through the basin giving the chlorine time to kill any pathogens, then the water is de-chlorinated
Water in a sample cup showing the water that's sent out to the Strait of Juan de Fuca
WAS and RAS pumps located below the clarifiers
Chlorine Pumps. Chlorine is used for disinfection
Non potable water system pumps
Digester is where the solids are sent after separating from the water
Digester with air blower on this keeps it aerobic and the microbes living
Digested solids waiting to be pumped to the belt press
Belt press where biosolids are dewatered so they can be hauled to the Compost Facility
Another angle of the belt press.
Pumps that feed the belt press
Dump truck that is used to transport bio-solids to our Composting Facility
This generator powers the whole facility in the event of a power outage
Gaines Street Lift Station: The lift station pumps sewage from lower areas of town to a higher area so it can flow by gravity