In addition, recovered waste heat from the engines keeps the plant building warm in the winter, cools the building in the summer and heats the solids for processing. The District uses a series of lagoons and a dedicated land disposal area on a site adjacent to the treatment plant. Energy costs are low, little manpower is required and the District avoids the costs involved in hauling solids off site to a landfill. How Wastewater Is Treated The wastewater treatment plant provides primary and secondary treatment and filtration of wastewater to be recycled. Primary treatment is a physical process that removes large objects as well as finer solids that settle out of the wastewater.
Secondary treatment is a more complex, biological process.
It uses bacteria to convert dissolved organic matter into suspended matter that also settles out. This final effluent meets or surpasses water quality requirements set by state and federal regulatory agencies. Not all of the treated effluent is discharged to the Bay. A portion of it is filtered, and then recycled. Fine coal and sand remove any particles which escape the secondary sedimentation tanks making the treated water suitable for irrigation.