Preliminary Treatment

The purpose of preliminary treatment is to protect the operation of the wastewater

treatment plant.  This is achieved by removing from the wastewater any constituents which
can clog or damage pumps, or interfere with subsequent treatment processes.
 Secondary Treatment

Secondary treatment is a biological treatment process that removes up to 90 percent of BOD

and TSS. Following primary treatment, effluent is pumped to the secondary treatment stage.
It may take one of several forms; for example, either a trickling filter or a sequencing batch
reactor. The growth of microorganisms results from the consumption of organic matter in the
wastewater as their food supply.
 Trickling Filter

The picture shows a trickling filter biological treatment process, which uses a bed of rocks to
facilitate contact among the aerobic bacteria, organic matter in wastewater and oxygen.
 Tertiary Treatment

Tertiary treatment is used only where it is needed to protect the receiving waters from
excess nutrients. In tertiary treatment, the concentrations of phosphorus or nitrogen are
reduced through biological or chemical processes.
 Comminutor

The drum spins counter-clockwise to this view and the silver colored teeth go through a
comb-like device to shred rags, plastics, fecal matter, etc.  Note the small pine cones and a
rubber ball.
 Rectangular Clarifier

The wastewater is put into large rectangular tanks into which air is pumped. The
microorganisms in the wastewater use the oxygen in the air to degrade the organic wastes. In
effect, the micro- organisms use the wastes as a food source.
 Solids Treatment

Primary solids from the primary settling tank and secondary solids from the clarifier are sent
to digesters for solids processing. During this process, micro-organisms use the organic
material present in the solids as a food source and convert it to by-products such as methane
gas and water. Digestion results in a 90% reduction of pathogens and the production of a wet
soil-like material called "biosolids" that contain 95-97% water. In order to remove some of
this water, mechanical equipment such as a belt filter press or centrifuge are used to squeeze
water from the biosolids, reducing its volume prior to being used in soil amendment or
composting.
 Grit Chamber

Grit chambers are long narrow tanks that are designed to slow down the flow so that solids
such as sand, coffee grounds, and eggshells will settle out of the water. Grit causes excessive
wear and tear on pumps and other plant equipment. Its removal is particularly important in
cities with combined sewer systems, which carry a good deal of silt, sand, and gravel that
wash off streets or land.
 Bar Screens

Bar screens are typically at the headworks (entrance) of a wastewater treatment plant
(WWTP), bar screens are used to remove large objects such as rags, plastics bottles, bricks,
solids, and toy action figures from the waste stream entering the treatment plant. Bar
screens are vital to the successful operation of a plant, they reduce the damage of valves,
pumps, and other appurtenances.
 Circular Sedimentation Tank

In circular tanks, the flow enters either the center of the tank (center feed) or the side of the
tank (side feed). If the tank is less than 30 ft (9.14 m) in diameter, the inlet pipe will enter
through the wall and discharge into the baffle well. Then, the flow enters in a downward
direction. If the tank is greater than about 30 ft (9.14 m), the inlet pipe will run underneath
the tank and discharge vertically in the center of the center of the baffle well. The depth of a
circular clarifier is considered to be the depth at the side of the tank, and is referred to as the
side water depth (swd). This depth is used for determining tank volume and detention time.

Rotating Biological Contactors

The RBC process involves allowing the wastewater to come in contact with a biological
medium in order to remove pollutants in the wastewater before discharge of the treated
wastewater to the environment, usually a body of water (river, lake or ocean). A rotating
biological contactor is a type of secondary treatment process. It consists of a series of closely
spaced, parallel discs mounted on a rotating shaft which is supported just above the surface
of the waste water. Microorganisms grow on the surface of the discs where biological
degradation of the wastewater pollutants takes place.

Activated Sludge System

The activated sludge process is a wastewater treatment method in which the carbonaceous
organic matter of wastewater provides an energy source for the production of new cells for a
mixed population of microorganisms in an aquatic aerobic environment. The microbes
convert carbon into cell tissue and oxidized end products that include carbon dioxide and
water. In addition, a limited number of microorganisms may exist in activated sludge that
obtains energy by oxidizing ammonia nitrogen to nitrate nitrogen in the process known as
nitrification.

Operational Flow of Waste to Energy Facility

The methane gas, produced due to the natural decomposition of garbage underground, is
currently being “flared,” or burned off, but soon it will become a source of energy and earn
income for the county as well.

The gas will be bought by Flint, which is an electric co-op. It will then use the gas to make
electricity through an adjacent generating plant on county land.