Understanding Wastewater & Sewers Erie County Department of Environment & Planning Division of Sewerage Management

Water Is our Most VALUABLE RESOURCE Most Valuable

Why is Water IMPORTANT ? Water is necessary to all living things People can live for weeks without food, but only a few days without water Water is a delivery system Nutrients in soil Blood in humans/animals Carries off bodily wastes Our body is water cooled

Why Conserve Water ? We have a limited amount of water and a growing population!

Who Uses Water ? People Industry Farmers Supply Who Uses Water ? People Industry Farmers Utilities (making electricity) Water used in 1 day in USA - 450 billion gallons 450,000,000,000 gallons ( >7 trillion cups )

How Much Water Do We Use and Where ?

Water Trivia: US needs 115,000,000,000 gals/day of drinking water Daily Water Usage Family & Industrial US Japan Ghana (W. Africa) All of Europe 450,000,000,000 gallons 150,000,000,000 gallons 6, 400,000,000 gallons 170,000,000,000 gallons Water Trivia: US needs 115,000,000,000 gals/day of drinking water

What Happens to Water That’s Not Consumed ? Goes down the drain Dirty Smelly Hidden } OOS/ OOM & and becomes wastewater

“OOS/OOM” Out Of Sight Out Of Mind

One Person, One Day: Flush Toilet Shower/Bath Brush Teeth Wash Hands 15 gal 35 gal 4 gal 6 gal (5 gal x 3 ) JUNE 15, 2006 (2 gal x 2 ) (2 gal x 3 ) 60 gallons/person* * Range: 50-100 gallons/person-day

Typical Family Wastewater Total usage 14.5 billion gallons per day Dishwasher (2%) Kitchen Sink (8%) Bathroom Sink (11%) Bathing (20%) Washing Clothes (26%) Toilet (33%)

What Happens to the Wastewater From Each Source? Goes down a DRAIN Where does the drain pipe lead? Connects with other drains Series of house pipes Usually in the basement

Where Does It Go from There?

Where Does It Go from There? S E W E R S

What is a SEWER? Series of pipes Below ground Conveys wastewater Sewer has access points House connections Manholes

What We Should NOT Put Into Sewers ? Paints Solvents Pesticides Storm water Oil Gasoline Plastics Grease Paint Thinner

Why Not? Damage Sewers Corrosive Explosive Fire Block Sewers Difficult to remove Create odors Overload Treatment Plant Reduce Capacity

DAMAGED SEWERS

For Example: Blocked Sewer

Where Should We Put Them? Special Disposal Places (check with Erie County or local Town officials)

HOUSEHOLD WASTE DISPOSAL Erie County Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Day Contact: (716)858-6800 Or www.erie.gov/environment

Wastewater Flow in Sewers Why is the sewer pipe tilted downward? Water flows by gravity From high point to low point Have you ever seen water run uphill?

How Do We Get Wastewater Up a Hill ? Sewer Pump Pumped Wastewater (Uphill) Gravity Wastewater Flow (Downhill) Hill It needs to be PUMPED !

What is Sewer Pipe Made Of ? Clay Not Used - Old Pipe Metal Special Cases Concrete Larger Lines Plastic New- Most Common

Does one size sewer pipe fit all places Sewer Pipe Size Does one size sewer pipe fit all places NO Pipe size is increased as more wastewater is introduced from additional homes 6” 8” 10” 12” 16” 20” 24” 30” 36” +

No! Can You See Sewer Pipes ? How Do You Know They Are There ? Manhole Covers Streets Sidewalks Private Property Where

Can You See Sewer Pipes ? Look for the connection from your house to the sewer. Look for your Cleanout, it’s usually in you lawn.

Manholes - Why Do We Need Them ? Provide access to sewers to Look at Fix Clean Monitor/sample Join pipes Change direction/ pipe size/slope Provide venting

Sewer View From Above

Sewer View From Above 14” 12” 8” 8” 12” Increasing Pipe Size Manhole 12” Increasing Pipe Size Joining Pipe 8” Manhole Manhole Changing Pipe Direction 8” 12” Increasing Pipe Size

What Happens at a Wastewater Treatment Plant ? Dirty water (called wastewater or sewage) is cleaned….HOW? Through treatment process by

But Why Send to a Treatment Plant Why Not Discharge to a River Or Lake

Why Not Discharge to a River or Lake? River/Lake Untreated wastewater will make humans sick Untreated wastewater will kill fish and other aquatic life. Impacts water quality

Why Not Discharge to a River or Lake? Major concern – BACTERIA/HEALTH & LOW OXYGEN LEVEL

Why Not Discharge to a River or Lake? Bacteria/pathogens are harmful Humans Fish Low Oxygen Level Fish cannot survive

Wastewater Treatment Plants Sewers discharge to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) WWTPs remove Bacteria/Pathogens Organic matter Solids WWTPs discharge Cleaner water BUT HOW?

Wastewater Treatment Plant Summary Steps 1 2 3 Bar Screen Grit Tank Solids Settling 5 4 Disinfection Biological Treatment Chlorine or Ultraviolet Clean Water

Step 1: Bar Screens

Bar Screens

Step 2 - Grit Removal Grit can be: Egg shells Coffee grinds Nut shells Seeds Sand Pebbles Pits

Grit Tank

Step 3 - Solids Settling

Step 3 - Solids Settling Settling Tank Removes Solids from Wastewater Solids can be: Food Poop

Solids Settling - Circular Clarifier

Solids Settling - Circular Clarifier

Step 4 - Biological Treatment Aeration tank removes soluble organic material from wastewater Hungry bugs eat organic material (food) Clean water is left

Aeration Tank

(UV) Ultraviolet Bulbs Step 5 - Disinfection Clean Effluent Water Chlorine Contact Tank Chlorine Disinfection removes bugs from clean water before discharge Chlorine or ultraviolet light kills bugs Clean Effluent Water (UV) Ultraviolet Bulbs -OR-

Disinfection (chlorine contact)

Disinfection (Ultraviolet)

Wastewater Treatment Plant Summary Steps 1 2 3 Bar Screen Grit Tank Solids Settling 5 4 Disinfection Biological Treatment Chlorine or Ultraviolet Clean Water

But What Do We Do With The Solids Collected? Steps 1 2 3 Bar Screen Grit Tank Solids Settling 5 4 Disinfection Biological Treatment Chlorine or Ultraviolet Clean Water

Dewatering Why? - To reduce amount of water in solids - To reduce disposal volume - More water in solids = more cost $$$ Dewatering

Primary Clarifier Solids Final Clarifier Solids Plant Solids Primary Clarifier Solids Final Clarifier Solids Anaerobic Digester Solids Dewatering To Landfill

THE FINAL RESULT – CLEAN WATER & HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

THE END ECDSM