In October we asked readers to share stories of how their treatment plants have improved their receiving streams. First to respond were Pete Baranyai of the East Chicago (Ind.) Sanitary District and Patty Troy of the City of Port Huron (Mich.) Water Reclamation Facility.
Their stories are inspiring. Baranyai’s already seems to have a happy ending, while Troy’s remains a work in progress.
Saving the St. Clair
“I was blessed to grow up next to the St. Clair River,” wrote Troy, lab manager at Port Huron. “As a kid, I swam every day in the summer. My grandparents’ home was on the river, and I liked to jump in from a pipe that extended into the river from their backyard. We would jump in with inner tubes and float downriver for a mile or two. Many years, later I learned that pipe was a CSO outfall.
“The St. Clair has its share of problems. In 1986, it was named an Area of Concern by the International Joint Commission. Problems include a legacy of heavy industry, particularly in the Chemical Valley on the Ontario shore.
“I have served on the Binational Public Advisory Council for the St. Clair since 1992. We have seen great improvements since, some related to wastewater treatment. While the Port Huron facility has had secondary treatment since 1975, the Sarnia Wastewater Treatment Plant directly across the river (8.5-mgd average flow) had only primary treatment.
“In 2001, Sarnia completed a $30 million upgrade to secondary treatment. On both sides of the river, CSO separations have occurred and are continuing. The St. Clair is a major sturgeon spawning area and home to 91 species of fish. It has the largest freshwater delta in North America, and immediately downstream is Lake St. Clair which is also a major fishery.”
The St. Clair is the target of a Remedial Action Plan that aims to restore the ecosystem. Groups involved include Friends of the St. Clair River and Friends of the St. Clair River watershed.
