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Waste
Water Treatment Plant
The Sanitation Department is located at the
site of the Wastewater Treatment Plant, 183 Hamburg Road.
The Sanitation Department operates and maintains the sewage
treatment plant and Boroughs sanitary sewage collection
system, consisting of main lines, manholes and 3 pump
stations which are owned by the Greenville Sanitary
Authority and are leased to the Borough. It is also
responsible for the enforcement of state and federal laws
and requirements as they relate to waste water collection
and treatment and the general protection of the environment.
Wastewater Treatment is one of the most vital services any
community can provide. Without it, disease and infection
could become epidemic resulting in many deaths as were
recorded prior to modern treatment facilities. Diseases such
hepatitis A and cholera are common in countries without
proper treatment of there wastewater. Contaminated water and
seafood can carry viral hepatitis, cholera, typhoid fever,
and a range of stomach and intestinal diseases.
Once
collected, sewage water flows into a generally unappreciated
but highly important multi-step treatment facility. There
are numerous variations on the treatment plant theme, but
they all work to achieve the same goals:
-
remove sludge and
scum so they don't accumulate in rivers where the water
is discharged,
everything from rags and plastics, sand and bicycles are
found in wastewater;
-
prevent
oxygen-demanding organic material from entering rivers
where it kills aquatic life by stealing oxygen,
-
prevent
odors created in water lacking enough dissolved oxygen,
and
-
remove
potential disease-causing bacteria and viruses
(pathogens).
WHERE DOES WASTEWATER COME FROM?
Homes--human
and household wastes from toilets, sinks, baths,
dishwashers, garbage grinders, clothes washers and drains.
Industry, Schools, and Business--chemical
and other wastes from factories, food-service operations,
school activities, hospitals, shopping centers, etc.
Storm Water Infiltration and Inflow from Runoff and
Groundwater--water
that enters the sanitary sewer system during a storm, as
well as groundwater that enters through cracks in sewers.
The Borough of Greenville has one set of sewers for
wastewater from homes and businesses (sanitary sewers) and a
separate system for storm water runoff (storm sewers)
On the average, each person in the U.S. contributes 75-100
gallons of wastewater every day.
Q. The most common questions and complaint is, why am I
getting a sewage smell in my home.
A. There is always odor in the sanitary sewer system. It is
not allowed to enter your home because of traps in your
plumbing system. The trap lays full of water so the odor can
not come into your home. In most situations of odor, water
has evaporated from a basement drain that is rarely used,
allowing fumes from the sewer to come into the home. Usually
dumping a bucket of water into all basement drains will
correct an odor problem.
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