Dayton's "Water Reclamation Plant"

Last Friday, October 29th, the River Steward 2013 cohort made a visit to the Dayton Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP)... or more accurately called: the Water Reclamation Plant. The tour gave us an idea of what the necessary steps are for purifying the water that will be returned to the Great Miami River. The plant first opened in 1929, and is now capable of discharging 72 millions gallons of clean water each day!! The smell of the site was not too pleasing at some locations, but it was still interesting to actually see the steps from the waste water we produce each day to the clear water that is returned to the river. The reclaimed water can even contribute up to 40 to 50% of the total river flow during drought conditions.
Now you may be wondering what happens to all that "waste" that is removed from the water... the sludge is anaerobically digested into biosolids, which are then dehydrated and used as fertilizer on approved farms. The WWTP is under the control of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, which requires a certain degree of water purity before it can be discharged into the Great Miami River.
For more information about the Dayton WWTP, visit http://water.cityofdayton.org/Water/wwabout.asp