The Sugar Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant (near Fairview and Park road intersection) experienced an electrical outage in the afternoon of Tuesday October 17, 2017, and for approximately 12 minutes discharged highly treated wastewater to Little Sugar Creek that had not completed the normal treatment process. It is estimated 39,800 gallons was discharged from the final disinfection process over the 12 minute period. This is approximately 0.3% of the total flow of 11.1 million gallons of wastewater treated on that day. All NPDES treatment permit requirements were met for the day.
This water was completely treated (steps 1 through 4 below) with the exception of the final polishing step of ultraviolet disinfection (step 5 below) during the 12 minute power outage. No impacts to the stream were observed and none are expected.
- Primary Treatment – Solid particles & objects are captured by screens, grit chambers, and primary clarifiers.
- Aeration/Secondary Treatment – Wastewater is aerated to support growth of microorganisms that remove harmful pollutants.
- Clarification – Solids and microorganisms settle out in large basins.
- Advanced Treatment – Wastewater flows through granular filters to remove fine particles.
- UV Disinfection – Water is disinfected to remove any remaining pathogens, and then the treated water is released into creeks.