Primary Treatment
Sewage from homes, business, and industry arrives at the treatment plant by passing through large bar screens that remove wood, paper, and plastics from the water. Sand and gravel then settle out in the grit tank and are removed. Clarification tanks allow lighter materials to float to the surface and be skimmed off. Heavier material, called biosolids, falls to the bottom and is pumped to anaerobic digesters. Bacteria in the digesters break solids down, creating methane gas. Additionally, the High Strength Waste Facility allows liquid waste such as oils, grease and brew waste to be trucked in and added to the anaerobic digesters.