One full-time employee is responsible for the collection system, which includes maintaining six lift stations, sewer cleaning, and sewer construction. The Vermillion Wastewater Facility is a secondary activated sludge facility and is designed to accommodate flows of two million gallons per day, with peak flows of up to four million gallons per day. Wastewater is pumped to the treatment facility from the City by two pumping stations. The pretreatment phase is the first step of wastewater treatment. As wastewater enters the facility rags, debris, and gravel are removed.
Primary clarification is the second phase of treatment.
At this point, the heavy solids settle out of the water and the lighter solids float. The biological process is the next step of treatment. Microorganisms are used to treat the waste naturally. The organisms are concentrated in this process and mixing and aeration are provides as needed for high-rate treatment process. The wastewater first flows over a redwood-media trickling filter and continues on to the activated sludge basins where it is mixed and aerated.