Finally, the wastewater is pumped to a fine screening unit where fine solids are removed. The wastewater then enters the second stage of treatment called secondary treatment. Here a biological process takes place to remove the remaining material from the wastewater. In the basins air is introduced to stimulate the growth of bacteria and other organisms to consume most of the remaining waste material. The wastewater from the aeration basins then flows to a clarifier where the solids are allowed to separate from the wastewater.
Chlorine is introduced to the remaining water for disinfection to kill any remaining bacteria.
In fact, the final effluent is cleaner and less toxic to fish and other wildlife than the natural river water itself. The dried biosolids are disposed in an approved landfill or can be used as a agricultural fertilizer. The Wastewater treatment plant has received local, state and national acclaim as being one of the best operated and maintained Wastewater Plants of its size in the Southeastern United States. The Wastewater Plant is staffed and operated twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week by highly trained and certified personnel. The process is continuously monitored and adjusted to maximize the efficiency of the process and to protect the environment.