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GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — The wastewater treatment plant hauled tens of thousands of gallons of water through the city last week as a precautionary measure.
Water and Wastewater Department Superintendent Buddy Burns said the water was used at the water treatment plant near Red Mountain to backwash silt and sediment out of filters. Since improvements there in 1995, the wash water has been taken to the wastewater treatment plant on Seventh Street.
But Burns said there were recently signs of sludge not settling at the wastewater treatment plant. So the wash water was trucked to Glenwood Park and put in the sanitary sewer system to avoid potential problems, he added.
“It just buys us a little detention time and a little more dilution to where we won’t see the effects as dramatically,” Burns said. “We just don’t want our plant getting upset.”
He estimated that more than 80,000 gallons of water were trucked through the city last week.
The sludge-settlement issues appear to be another impact of the greater snowpack and runoff from this winter.
Burns said the greater snowpack and runoff this year washed more silt and debris through the filters at the water treatment plant. Those then required more back washing, which meant more wash water for the wastewater treatment plant to handle, resulting in the settlement issues.
“It’s brought down silt and everything along the banks that hasn’t been washed down for years because we haven’t had a good runoff,” Burns said.
Burns said a new wastewater plant planned for West Glenwood Springs will be designed to work around the wash water issue.
Contact Pete Fowler: 384-9121
pfowler@postindependent.com
Water and Wastewater Department Superintendent Buddy Burns said the water was used at the water treatment plant near Red Mountain to backwash silt and sediment out of filters. Since improvements there in 1995, the wash water has been taken to the wastewater treatment plant on Seventh Street.
But Burns said there were recently signs of sludge not settling at the wastewater treatment plant. So the wash water was trucked to Glenwood Park and put in the sanitary sewer system to avoid potential problems, he added.
“It just buys us a little detention time and a little more dilution to where we won’t see the effects as dramatically,” Burns said. “We just don’t want our plant getting upset.”
He estimated that more than 80,000 gallons of water were trucked through the city last week.
The sludge-settlement issues appear to be another impact of the greater snowpack and runoff from this winter.
Burns said the greater snowpack and runoff this year washed more silt and debris through the filters at the water treatment plant. Those then required more back washing, which meant more wash water for the wastewater treatment plant to handle, resulting in the settlement issues.
“It’s brought down silt and everything along the banks that hasn’t been washed down for years because we haven’t had a good runoff,” Burns said.
Burns said a new wastewater plant planned for West Glenwood Springs will be designed to work around the wash water issue.
Contact Pete Fowler: 384-9121
pfowler@postindependent.com
