Environmental Science Laboratory: Wastewater Treatment Plant

Name: ______________ Class: (circle one:) MWam MWpm Kahl

1. What is the name of the facility you visited? Who runs this facility (governmental body)?

2. Does this facility have to be licensed to operate? Who licenses this facility? Are the operators licensed at this facility?

3. What is primary wastewater treatment? How is this done at the facility you visited?

4. What is secondary wastewater treatment? How is this done at the facility you visited?

5. What is tertiary wastewater treatment? Is this type of treatment done at the facility you visited? Why or why not?

6. What types of organisms are involved in wastewater treatment? Ecologically, how would you classify this group of organisms (what food chain do they form)?

7. Why are the secondary treatment tanks (secondaries) aerated?

8. What happens in the anaerobic digesters? What explosive gas is released by the bacteria in this stage of the process?

Where would this process occur in the natural environment (there are many locations potentially, name one)?

9. What is done with the biosolids resulting from the treatment process? Why is this a significant question?

10. What waste streams enter this particular treatment plant (residential, industrial, etc.)? What cities are served by this plant?

11. What is the expected "life" of the plant you visited? Are there plans for expanding the existing plant or building another in the near future?

12. How many gallons of water can this plant treat in a day? Are there any times the plant cannot treat all the wastewater coming to the plant? If so, what is done, if anything, to change the plant's operations during this event?

13. Why is the operation of this plant important environmentally?