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ANNUAL REPORT
2007-2008
DIVISION OF WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
THE DIVISION OF WATER POLLUTION CONTROL is responsible for the collection, treatment, and discharge of wastewater. Activities include: wastewater treatment, sludge disposal, laboratory analysis, sewer line cleaning and inspection, and pump station maintenance. This Division is also responsible for the operation of the Veteran’s Memorial Park swimming pool pump and filtration system and for the test/adjustment of water chemistry for the maintenance of pool water quality.
During the past year, the Division treated 640 million gallons of wastewater at a treatment efficiency of 92%. The Town is required to maintain a treatment efficiency of 85% under the current discharge permit issued by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. In treating the wastewater, 1,488,800 pounds of wastewater solids were removed and transported to the Hartford Metropolitan District Facility (MDC) for final processing in accordance with the Town’s participation in a cooperative regional sludge management program. Wastewater service is provided to more than 7,955 residential homes and to more than 340 industrial and commercial businesses in South Windsor, East Windsor, Vernon, and Manchester. Service is provided to out of town properties in accordance with the provisions of intertown sewer
agreements; through such agreements communities are benefited by limiting the number of expensive pump stations which would otherwise have to be constructed and operated.
The Town has completed and submitted to the State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) design work for construction of improvements of the Water Pollution Control Facility on Vibert Road. These improvements are intended to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and safety of the Facility in the treatment of wastewater. The improvements will meet future Town growth needs and, therefore, will serve to support and achieve the Town’s Strategic Plan priorities for economic development, environmental protection, infrastructure maintenance, public safety and quality of life. These improvements will be eligible for State grants (20 % to 30%) and low interest loans (20 years @ 2 %.)
The Division has successfully implemented a Town-wide program to reduce the fats, oils, and grease (FOG) discharged by Town restaurants to the sanitary sewer system. The presence of FOG in the system has increased the risk of sewer blockages and sewer overflows, and has also interfered with the Water Pollution Control Facility treatment process. The use of cameras by staff members has provided information as to those areas within Town where FOG accumulations may cause a problem.
During the past year, the Pollution Control Division installed a new chemical feed controller system at the Veteran’s Memorial Park swimming pool to improve system efficiency and reliability.
The staff in cooperation with Main Street residents, conducted Treatment Plant noise level testing in order to assess opportunities for reducing future noise from Plant equipment operation.
The Town received delivery of a new sewer line cleaning truck for improved line cleaning efficiency and operational safety. The Division cleaned about thirty two (32) miles of sewer line in 2007.
During Public Works Week in May of this year, Public Works Divisions demonstrated the equipment and services provided to the community in a program held for the children at Phillip R. Smith School.
REFUSE/RECYCLING COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL – The Town is a member of the Mid – Connecticut Project which is a regional cooperative organization of Hartford area communities established for the purposes of refuse disposal and recycling. Refuse from member communities is processed at a Hartford energy recovery facility operated by the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority (CRRA) where it is converted to electricity for use in the Hartford area.
The Town adopted a recycling ordinance in September 1990 and implemented a residential curbside recycling program the following month. The program has subsequently been expanded to include recycling of the following items: newspaper, corrugated cardboard, cereal boxes, glass and metal food containers, plastics, storage and rechargeable batteries, scrap metal, magazines, and junk mail, clothes, aseptic packaging, leaves, and Christmas trees. The Town also collects and recycles antifreeze, and used oil filters at the Public Works Garage on Burgess Road.
Since the implementation of the program for the automated collection of refuse in 2004, there have been increases in the program efficiency and cost effectiveness. Workers safety has been improved, annual costs have been stabilized, and the program has provided a more equitable distribution of program costs through the opportunity for home owners to purchase additional containers. The automated refuse collection program has contributed to a neat and tidy neighborhood appearance on collection day.
The Public Works Department has rewarded the opportunities to further reduce recycling costs through implementation of a program for single stream recycling. This program is a system by which all paper and containers are mixed within a single collection bin instead of being sorted into separates commodities (newspaper, plastic, metal, glass, etc.) by the resident and handled separately throughout the collection process. In this regard, this method of collecting recyclables would be similar to the Town’s current program of automated refuse collection. Later next year, the Department will be soliciting competitive bids for the collection of both refuse and recyclables, and the option for single stream recycling will be considered.
In the past year, household hazardous wastes from 348 South Windsor households were collected and safely disposed of through a regional cooperation effort.
Through the recycling programs, the Town has been able to reduce the quantity of solid waste that would otherwise have to be disposed of at a landfill: this cost avoidance represented cost savings to the Town during the past year of $528,533.
The following table compares Town residential recycling efforts of this past year with those of the year before.
RECYCLED ITEMS
RECYCLED ITEMS |
2005-06 |
2006 – 076 |
2007-08 |
Comingled recyclables Newpapers/Cardboard (tons), food and beverage containers |
2,845.83 |
2,419.13 |
2,491.90 |
Batteris (tons) |
2.36 |
2.56 |
2.90 |
Leaves (tons) |
6,575 |
4,896.06 |
6,020 |
Scrap Metal (tons) |
236.59 |
213.36 |
149.67 |
Christmas Trees (cubic yards) |
135 |
175 |
106 |
Used Oil Filters |
550 |
408 |
440 |
Antifreeze (gallons) |
135 |
105 |
75 |
Waste Oil (gallons) |
4.336 |
5,045 |
4,102 |
C. F. Shaw
Superintendent of Pollution Control
C. F. Shaw
Superintendent of Pollution Control
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