The site, located in a city park, sits adjacent to Rush Creek and within a residential neighborhood. Final design of the treatment plant incorporated a below-grade structure to house the necessary equipment. Exterior elements of the new plant include a red brick veneer and redwood privacy fence. Special precautions were taken to protect the bank of nearby Rush Creek during construction and emergency overflow events. Treatment of raw water is accomplished in phases within the 750 gpm gravity filter.
Water entering the system is aerated to drive off radon and other entrapped gasses.
Next, sodium hypochlorite and potassium permanganate are added for oxidation of iron and manganese and the treated water is moved into a detention tank where manganese precipitates solidify. After the water is held in detention for a period of time, it is moved into the filtration unit where it percolates through a media bed. Contained in the bed is a layer of anthracite to begin filtering particles, followed by a layer of manganese greensand that provides moderate removal of the radionuclide particles. An efficient airwater backwash system is integrated into the treatment facility. Limited chemical usage during the treatment process simplifies operation for personnel and reduces chemical costs for the city.