Wastewater Facility Sees Overflow Into Walnut Creek
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
David Henderson, Warsaw Wastewater Treatment Facility utility manager, said he discovered the overflow Tuesday at 1:45 a.m.
A warning sign is located on the south side of the Walnut Creek bridge making people aware of the overflow. The creek is south of the Wastewater Treatment Facility on West Center Street.[[In-content Ad]]"Combined sewers can become overloaded with heavy rain or melting snow or the combination causing overflow," Henderson said.
"Any rain event could potentially cause a combined sewer overflow, depending on the intensity and duration of the event."
Henderson said Warsaw has old sewers that carry both sanitary waste and storm water to the treatment plant that are called combined sewers. Less than 5 percent of the sewers in Warsaw are on the old combined sewer, and most of the sewers are separate sanitary or storm sewers.
The combined sewer outfall has been part of the Warsaw sewer system since the original wastewater plant was constructed in 1949.
This is the second time in the past two months where there was a combined sewer overflow due to heavy rains, Henderson said. With last night's rain, there was an overflow again at 5 p.m. last night until 2:45 this morning, but the overflow was in smaller amounts, Henderson said.
A wastewater employee measured the overflow this morning with a flow meter. Overflow has not been present since 2:45 this morning.
Henderson said the facility measured 1.3 inches of rain at the facility this morning and will keep assessing the situation with expected rain today.
He said the facility takes overflow measures every Friday to make sure the flow meter is in good operating condition.
He said the facility contacted Indiana Department of Environmental Management and six residents by mail and seven or eight residents by telephone Tuesday morning to make them aware of the overflow. The letter encouraged people to avoid contact with water downstream from combined sewer overflow until Thursday.
"The facility is required every March to send out letters to residents within 10 river miles downstream of the combined sewer outfall and ask them if they would like to be notified in instances of a combined sewer overflow," Henderson said.
The letter the facility sent to residents included measures to deal with sewer overflows, including avoiding contact with urban streams, especially during and up to three days after rain events, and altering recreational activities to avoid water conflict.
Other measures include always washing hands after contacting urban streams, especially before eating, and using waterless hand sanitizers at outings that occur near urban streams.
"The old sewers were constructed with an overflow point to avoid the waters backing up into people's homes and businesses," Henderson said.
The outfall is a pipe that carries the overflow to Walnut Creek. The outfall is allowed by IDEM as long as the facility notifies the public and reports overflows to IDEM, Henderson said.
There is a $1 million project set for this spring, pending IDEM approval, to construct a storage overflow at the plant that would run water through the treatment plant to prevent it from overflowing into Walnut Creek.
The project will include constructing a 42-foot pipe under Market Street. The pipe will run from the corner of Columbia and Market streets down to the wastewater plant. It will hold up to approximately 140,000 gallons of overflow, Henderson said.
Wastewater will be stored in the pipe until the storm passes and the treatment plant can handle treating it. The stored water will be fully treated at that point.
"The old system is permitted by IDEM standards, but we want to make sure that we complete the project that will reduce the overflows," Henderson said.
He said there is design work currently being completed on the proposed system.
People who want to be added to the e-mail list to be contacted in instances of a combined sewer overflow should e-mail [email protected] or call the wastewater plant at 574-372-9562.
David Henderson, Warsaw Wastewater Treatment Facility utility manager, said he discovered the overflow Tuesday at 1:45 a.m.
A warning sign is located on the south side of the Walnut Creek bridge making people aware of the overflow. The creek is south of the Wastewater Treatment Facility on West Center Street.[[In-content Ad]]"Combined sewers can become overloaded with heavy rain or melting snow or the combination causing overflow," Henderson said.
"Any rain event could potentially cause a combined sewer overflow, depending on the intensity and duration of the event."
Henderson said Warsaw has old sewers that carry both sanitary waste and storm water to the treatment plant that are called combined sewers. Less than 5 percent of the sewers in Warsaw are on the old combined sewer, and most of the sewers are separate sanitary or storm sewers.
The combined sewer outfall has been part of the Warsaw sewer system since the original wastewater plant was constructed in 1949.
This is the second time in the past two months where there was a combined sewer overflow due to heavy rains, Henderson said. With last night's rain, there was an overflow again at 5 p.m. last night until 2:45 this morning, but the overflow was in smaller amounts, Henderson said.
A wastewater employee measured the overflow this morning with a flow meter. Overflow has not been present since 2:45 this morning.
Henderson said the facility measured 1.3 inches of rain at the facility this morning and will keep assessing the situation with expected rain today.
He said the facility takes overflow measures every Friday to make sure the flow meter is in good operating condition.
He said the facility contacted Indiana Department of Environmental Management and six residents by mail and seven or eight residents by telephone Tuesday morning to make them aware of the overflow. The letter encouraged people to avoid contact with water downstream from combined sewer overflow until Thursday.
"The facility is required every March to send out letters to residents within 10 river miles downstream of the combined sewer outfall and ask them if they would like to be notified in instances of a combined sewer overflow," Henderson said.
The letter the facility sent to residents included measures to deal with sewer overflows, including avoiding contact with urban streams, especially during and up to three days after rain events, and altering recreational activities to avoid water conflict.
Other measures include always washing hands after contacting urban streams, especially before eating, and using waterless hand sanitizers at outings that occur near urban streams.
"The old sewers were constructed with an overflow point to avoid the waters backing up into people's homes and businesses," Henderson said.
The outfall is a pipe that carries the overflow to Walnut Creek. The outfall is allowed by IDEM as long as the facility notifies the public and reports overflows to IDEM, Henderson said.
There is a $1 million project set for this spring, pending IDEM approval, to construct a storage overflow at the plant that would run water through the treatment plant to prevent it from overflowing into Walnut Creek.
The project will include constructing a 42-foot pipe under Market Street. The pipe will run from the corner of Columbia and Market streets down to the wastewater plant. It will hold up to approximately 140,000 gallons of overflow, Henderson said.
Wastewater will be stored in the pipe until the storm passes and the treatment plant can handle treating it. The stored water will be fully treated at that point.
"The old system is permitted by IDEM standards, but we want to make sure that we complete the project that will reduce the overflows," Henderson said.
He said there is design work currently being completed on the proposed system.
People who want to be added to the e-mail list to be contacted in instances of a combined sewer overflow should e-mail [email protected] or call the wastewater plant at 574-372-9562.
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