A wastewater treatment plant in Clarkston, Washington, is putting bluegill to work eating water fleas that took up residence in the plant’s clarifiers.
While the water fleas — actually a type of freshwater shrimp — are a sign of clean water, their abundance was becoming problematic. That’s when the treatment plant staff decided to go the natural route and introduce 400 bluegill fish to the clarifiers.
“We had such a bloom of water fleas in the water that they kept plugging our filters. We were cleaning them several times a day. We were just looking for a way to reduce our manpower,” Clarkston Public Works Director Kevin Poole tells KLEW News.
Source: KLEW News
Workers Hospitalized Following Dry Lime Leak
Two employees of a water treatment plant in Middletown, Ohio, were hospitalized after a valve started leaking powdered lime. It took hazmat crews from multiple departments more than two hours to shut down and control.
Around 4 tons of dry lime powder leaked from a storage bin, according to Fire Chief Paul Lolli.
The Ohio EPA was informed of the leak, although there was no threat to the city’s drinking water supply.
Source: Dayton Daily News
Florida Governor Vetoes Water Reuse Bill
Florida Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a bill that furthered a cause to reuse treated wastewater to recharge the state’s aquifers, siding with environmentalists who argued the practice could negatively impact the water supply.
The bill aimed to change the Florida DEP’s guidelines to work with regional water management districts in support of reusing treated wastewater by pumping it into the aquifer. Injecting highly treated wastewater already is allowed in the state.
“I do not believe that approving HB 1149 is worth risking Floridians’ confidence in our existing water quality regulatory system,” Scott writes. “I am not convinced that this legislation will not muddle Florida’s protection of our aquifers.”
Source: Tampa Bay Times
If you’re looking for some educational material this week, the Fort Wayne (Indiana) wastewater treatment plant team put together a video talking about the city’s biosolids handling facility and process. Check out the video here.
