WHAT IS FLUSHABLE? An Emerging Problem For the Winterport Water District:
Consumer Wipes
Over
the last few years, the Winterport Water District has experienced an
increase in wastewater pump station malfunctions. Plant staff have
regularly needed to unclog mounds of disposable wipes from sewage
pumps, at considerable expense and environmental consequence.
Attempts to address this problem with retrofits and operational
changes have not been successful. In the month of December, a sewage
pump was damaged with a projected repair expense of $2,000 due to it
being clogged with the new type “disposable wipes”. Now the
Winterport Water District is considering the construction of a $1.5
million screening facility to prevent these “disposable wipes” from
reaching the sewage pumps and the treatment plant process itself.
This will also help eliminate the potential of any sanitary sewer
overflows into the Penobscot River (raw sewage discharge into
receiving waters) due to the pump plugging problem. More.........
NOTICE TO
ALL WINTERPORT WATER DISTRICT SEWER CUSTOMERS
We are writing to inform you of an
important regulatory issue that has the potential of affecting all
sewer customers of the Winterport Water District. As you know, the
District operates a wastewater treatment plant on Sampson Street
that was constructed in 1984 to process sewage flows from
Winterport's village area.
The Winterport Water District recently
received a letter from EPA advising that the treatment plant will no
longer be allowed to operate as a primary facility. This will force
the District to upgrade the present treatment plant to the secondary
level. Such an upgrade will be very expensive and will potentially
cost millions of dollars with no appreciable benefit to the
Penobscot River's water quality. More......
Robot Camera Inspects
Winterport Sewer System
This
past spring the underground pipes that collect the Districts sewage
and transports it to the treatment plant underwent a check up. A
robotic camera installed into the sewerlines by Allen's Industrial
Services of Presque Isle patrolled over 11,000 feet of the
underground pipes looking for defects that allows groundwater to to
enter the sewer system. This extra water has caused problems for
Winterport's wastewater treatment plant and is now being required to
be removed by both the Maine DEP and the Environmental Protection
Agency. Its anticipated that in 2008 6,400 feet of mainline sewer
will be replaces as well as 3,000 feet of service laterals. The
District is seeking grant funding and low interest financing from
various sources to complete the mandated repairs.
Over
the last few years, the Winterport Water District has experienced an
increase in wastewater pump station malfunctions. Plant staff have
regularly needed to unclog mounds of disposable wipes from sewage
pumps, at considerable expense and environmental consequence.
Attempts to address this problem with retrofits and operational
changes have not been successful. In the month of December, a sewage
pump was damaged with a projected repair expense of $2,000 due to it
being clogged with the new type “disposable wipes”. Now the
Winterport Water District is considering the construction of a $1.5
million screening facility to prevent these “disposable wipes” from
reaching the sewage pumps and the treatment plant process itself.
This will also help eliminate the potential of any sanitary sewer
overflows into the Penobscot River (raw sewage discharge into
receiving waters) due to the pump plugging problem.
This
past spring the underground pipes that collect the Districts sewage
and transports it to the treatment plant underwent a check up. A
robotic camera installed into the sewerlines by Allen's Industrial
Services of Presque Isle patrolled over 11,000 feet of the
underground pipes looking for defects that allows groundwater to to
enter the sewer system. This extra water has caused problems for
Winterport's wastewater treatment plant and is now being required to
be removed by both the Maine DEP and the Environmental Protection
Agency. Its anticipated that in 2008 6,400 feet of mainline sewer
will be replaces as well as 3,000 feet of service laterals. The
District is seeking grant funding and low interest financing from
various sources to complete the mandated repairs.