DALLESPORT — Wastewater treatment plant operators play a critical role in keeping Washington’s water clean. The facilities they operate have to be functional 24/7/365. And the plants have to deal with everything homes and businesses dump in or flush down the drain. This includes items sewage systems were not made to deal with, like “flushable” wipes, face masks, oils, and cooking grease.
It’s not an easy job. Operators have to be certified and meet continuing education requirements. The state’s Information Manual for Treatment Plant Operators, known as “The Orange Book,” contains such helpful examples as:
8.34 lbs/MG = Unit conversion for weight of one gallon of water in pounds. mg/L
Q x C x Unit Conversion = Mass Loading 0.67 x 10.5 x 8.34 = 58.6719 lbs/day
Plants operate under the watchful eye of Washington’s Department of Ecology, which has the responsibility to regulate wastewater treatment plants in the state. Every year, every one of the 300 plants is evaluated for compliance with its effluent limits, monitoring and reporting requirements, spill prevention planning, pretreatment and other regulatory activities to stay in full compliance with their discharge permits. Plants that comply 100% with their wastewater discharge permits receive awards in a program that started in 1995.
Klickitat PUD owns treatment plants in Glenwood, Klickitat, Lyle and Wishram, and operates the plant in Dallesport under contract with the county. Over the years between them, they’ve racked up 49 DOE Outstanding Performance awards.
This year will be no exception. The PUD has received word that the Dallesport plant will win its sixth such award for 2023 later this year. In a July 17 letter from Vincent McGowan, Ecology’s Water Quality program manager, he told the utility, “Your plant is one of the top performers for regularly meeting numeric effluent limits and permit criteria, for conducting monitoring, and for reporting data as required. It takes diligent operators and a strong management team, working effectively together, to achieve this high level of performance.
“Turning wastewater into water clean enough to discharge takes efficient process control, skill, teamwork, and good judgement,” the letter continues. “This truly is a 24/7 responsibility. Ecology appreciates the extraordinary level of effort your plant's operators make to protect water quality and provide critical service to the community.”
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