“We’re responsible for the water from the time it leaves the ground until it goes back into the creek,” said Terry Morris, who manages the plants for the city through a contract with Veolia Water North America.
Seven Veolia employees operate the Mill plant and water plant on Pennyroyal Road.
While flow varies, an average of 2.5 million gallons of sewage and storm water a day flows through the Mill plant back into a tributary of Clear Creek, about half the plant capacity.
While anticipating growth, the Mill expansion also updated systems, eliminating the use of chlorine and other chemicals in favor of processes filtering and separating the waste water.
From May to October, ultraviolet detection removes contaminants before the treated water cascades back into the creek.
“That’s the time of year kids are playing in the creek,” Morris said.
First waste water flows through a series of tanks and ditches.
A fence helps buffer the plant from residents of the Myers Creek subdivision, which generated complaints about smell and noise before the upgrades. Now, except during occasional plant “upsets,” ammonia is the only odor emanating from the plant, Morris said.
“We were fighting odor issues every other day,” Morris said. “The upgrade put us right on track.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2261 or lbudd@Dayton DailyNews.com.
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