Combined Sewer Systems Vs Not

Deep Tunnel Projects Chicago miles bl/gal Atlanta miles ml/gal Milwaukee miles ml/gal

Atlanta 1995: The Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper files a federal lawsuit against Atlanta, charging that state environmental officials are incapable of making the city stop polluting the river. 1998: The city signs a consent decree with the federal and state environmental regulators and the Riverkeeper, agreeing to fix its sewers and stop polluting the Chattahoochee and South rivers. 2004: Three of four city voters approve a 1 percent sales tax to help pay for the infrastructure improvements. ***Nov. 10, 2008: Atlanta celebrates compliance with the 1998 consent decree $25 million Greenway Acquisition Program, under which nearly 24 miles of stream buffers in Atlanta and eight metro counties were bought to protect the waterways from development; Separation of 33 miles of combined sewers; Construction of CSO Tunnels

Groundwater Pollution

Waste Water Treatment Primary treatment 1.Physically removing solids, grease, & grit using grates and screens 2.Settling tanks remove suspended and floating solids, but little of the dissolved materials. Alum added for clumping. 3.30% of BOD removed Secondary treatment 1.Aeration Tanks promote growth of bacteria that break down the dissolved organic wastes. 2.Living filters are also used that contain bacteria growing on sand or plastic. 3.Settling Tank or Clarification Tank 4.90% of BOD now removed Tertiary treatment 1.Chlorine, UV radiation, Ozone, chlorine are used to kill bacteria and pathogens 2.Chemical processes remove phosphorous, nitrogen, heavy metals, and chlorine. 3. Water may be rejuvenated with oxygen

Improving Water Quality Municipal Sewage Treatment Primary and Secondary Sewage Treatment

Waste-Water Treatment What to do with removed Waste? - digester

Municipal Sewage Treatment Effectiveness- shows concentrations of pollutant following treatment

Individual Septic System Individual Septic Systems Drain field

Individual Septic Systems Living Bacterial Culture Inside Tank

Jonesboro Amid the 4,000 acres of wetlands in Jonesboro, Ga., are graded pools used to filter water. The water is pumped in from a treatment plant and flows into these ponds, which are filled with all kinds of thick vegetation, including cattails, native grasses and water lilies. There have been complaints from neighbors not about the odor but about something else entirely: frogs. From the wetlands, the water runs over a gate and into a reservoir, one of four that were built to store billions of gallons of water. Residents use about 26 million gallons of water a day and through this system, the county reclaims 10 million gallons of that. The price tag is also an advantage — it can be as little as half the cost of building a regular wastewater treatment plant. This idea probably won't work for bigger cities like Atlanta because it requires a lot of land. Still, it's attractive for smaller communities.

Drinking Water