The Patapsco plant is smaller than Back River, designed to treat up to 81 million gallons per day, versus Back River’s capacity to treat 180 million gallons daily. But Tablada said it suffers from similar problems, so the Back River report could benefit Patapsco as well.
Full Answer
What is Patapsco wastewater treatment plant?
Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant’s origins essentially began in 1918, when 60.2 square miles was annexed to the City of Baltimore. This increase in the size of the City resulted in a section of South Baltimore being without sewage treatment facilities.
Should third-party oversight be given to Patapsco wastewater treatment plant?
Environmental groups are calling for third-party oversight at Baltimore’s Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant after an inspection conducted last week found continuing equipment problems resulting in high levels of bacteria and nutrients released into the river.
How many people work at the Baltimore wastewater treatment plant?
It serves an area of approximately 184 square miles and an estimated population of approximately 450,000. The plant employs approximately 180 people to treat wastewater generated from Baltimore City, as well as Baltimore, Howard, and Anne Arundel counties.
What happened to the original Chesapeake Bay wastewater treatment plant?
Unfortunately, the original plant, modern for its time, was capable of only removing approximately one-third of the pollutants flowing through the plant, with the remaining two-thirds being discharged to the Patapsco River and out into the Chesapeake Bay. That problem had to be resolved.
What would happen if the Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant didn't exist?
If facilities such as the Patapsco Wastewater Treatment plant didn’t exist polluted water would have to go directly into bodies of water , such as the Chesapeake Bay. This would create the risk of algae bloom and hypoxic zones.
Where does Patapsco wastewater come from?
This wastewater comes from South and West Baltimore city, along with Baltimore, Anne Arundel and Howard Counties. The plant is 68 acres and has the capacity to process 63 million gallons of water a day and has a four stage treatment process, from preliminary, to primary, secondary, and tertiary.
How does a water treatment plant work?
How does the treatment plant work? The water that comes into the plant initially flows through 6 aerated tanks to settle out bigger solids such as car parts, money, metals, etc. These tanks are cleaned every 3 months with a clamshell bucket. Once the 6 aerated tanks settle out the bigger solids the water flows through a 96 inch diameter pipe, ...
What is the covered portion of a water treatment tank?
The covered portion is where the water is injected with oxygen, and the uncovered portion is there for that injected water to settle. Afterwards there are 6 primary settlement tanks which the water again settle in and them moves to secondary treatment. This secondary stage entails more biological and chemical treatment of ...
How far out is the water from the treatment center?
After this the water is sent to disinfection where a 15% chlorine solution is used in the water, and then the water is dechlorinated and sent out to the bay through a channel that’s 50 feet out from the treatment center.
What is activated sludge?
The water is injected with oxygen then a substance with microorganisms called activa ted sludge removes pollutants, some is disposed of afterward, some is sent back to reintroduce microorganisms. The ENR, or enhanced nutrient removal, system is a major innovation added to this system a few years ago.
What is the last treatment step before discharge to the Patapsco River?
Tertiary Treatment. Disinfection coupled with follow-up dechlorination is the last treatment step before discharge to the Patapsco River. Chlorine is used at the treatment plant as a disinfectant to destroy disease-causing bacteria and other organisms.
How many tanks are there in a grit facility?
Preliminary treatment includes a Grit facility, which consists of 6 tanks and the usage of mechanically cleaned screens where objects such as rags, sticks, and boards are removed and disposed of in landfills.