Our Wastewater Plant
In Ave Maria, wastewater treatment is achieved by using conventional activated sludge treatment followed by tertiary filtration and high-level disinfection. The wastewater treatment facility is designed to meet strict regulatory requirements which allow for the beneficial reuse of the plant effluent for irrigation water in the community.
Influent Screen
Wastewater from the community is pumped to the wastewater treatment facility. The wastewater first passes through a fine screen before entering the plant. This preliminary screening removes large, course solids that cannot be treated.
Treatment Plant
The treatment plant includes a surge tank, two aeration basins, one clarifier, and two digester basins.
Surge Tank
The surge tank is covered to prevent the escape of odors. The air in the surge tank is continually extracted and sent to a Bio-tower for treatment.
Aeration Basin
Water enters the aeration basins where biological treatment takes place. Oxygen is required for biological treatment and is provided by two blowers and through an air diffuser system.
Aeration Blowers
The blowers are enclosed to minimize noise.
Clarifier
The clarifier is a large circular settling tank where solid-liquid separation takes place. The settled solids are treated further in the aeration basins and digester basins. The Ave Maria facility also has a second clarifier for emergencies.
Sand Filters
Filtration is a physical process for separating suspended particles from the treated water from the clarifier as it passes through the sand.
Chlorine Contact Chamber
The clear effluent from the sand Filter passes into the chlorine contact chamber for final disinfection before being discharged to the irrigation ponds.
Support Systems
In the event on a power failure, an emergency generator will supply power to operate the Treatment System.
Emergency Power Generation
The SCADA system provides the operation staff the ability to monitor and control the entire system along with collecting operational data that will be used in optimizing the process.
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
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