It's not actually a secret. My last name is Gordon. I am the chemist at the wastewater treatment plant in the city of Pittsfield, located in the beautiful Berkshire Hills, of western Massachusetts (USA). I have been in charge of the lab there since 1976. I have an M.S. degree in chemistry, and prior to this position, had worked in a lab doing pollutant analysis, particularly pesticides and PCB's. I also taught chemistry at both the high school and junior college level, before that, for a short time.
I have a Mass. grade 7 wastewater operator's license.

As for the nickname, anyone named Gordon has, at one time or another, been called "Flash". (Ask any Gordon.)   Well, if you are working at a sewage treatment plant, and you have a superintendent with a sense of humor, he may think that "Flush" is a more appropriate variation, given our line of endeavor.

At the plant, the staff of two lab technicians and I conduct the wastewater analyses and prepare the reports required for our government permits and for plant process control. We also do sampling and analysis outside the plant to control industrial discharges and to support contracts with neighboring towns which discharge their wastewater into our system for treatment.



Our plant, in addition to its role in protecting public health and the environment, serves from time to time, through tours, as an resource for the local educational community from elementary school through college level.   I have come to realize that, although almost everyone is strongly in favor of clean water, there is a lack of concrete knowledge among the public of just what water pollution consists of, and of what is done with a community's "used water" to prevent it from causing damage to our lakes, streams, and the ocean. The internet is providing a new opportunity for people to get a chance to learn more about things that interest them-- and for people who enjoy expounding about a chosen subject to have a place to do so. This web site is an attempt to provide some satisfaction on both sides.

The pages which deal with the nature of water pollution and how we prevent it, including an introduction to wastewater treatment processes, is meant for anyone who has an interest in the subject. Some of the links also provide similar material. The pages describing water analysis are a bit more specialized, and may be of more interest to people who work in the water pollution control field, or to science students or teachers who are interested in how chemical, physical and microbiological testing are applied in protecting the water environment. Or, you may just want to look at the cute graphics on the lab pages.

Except for the reviews of professional software, all of the text in these pages is original and basically "off the top of my head". So if you have any complaints about inaccuracies or omissions (though I was not attempting to be comprehensive), let me know. Any other comments or suggestions are welcome, as well. Keep in mind that I am not a sanitary or environmental engineer.

Many of the science-related graphics I used came from the site, SoftShell Online. That site is maintained by a company which sells chemical drawing software; they provide the free science gifs for any one to use. The diagrams of the wastewater treatment processes and the spectrophotometer (except for the "sweating" test tube), as well as a few others, I drew using the Paint accessory that comes with Windows 95 ^©. The outhouse picture is from A Touch of Country. Other graphics came from various sources; no copyrighted graphics were intentionally used. I you find any, let me know, and I will remove them. Also, the name "Flush Gordon" is clearly meant as a parody of the name of the fictional character "Flash Gordon", and there is no intent to infringe on any copyright which may be held on that name.

So, now... Go with the flow...


By the way, a new attraction in the Berkshires that I have enjoyed greatly is the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, an 11-mile paved biking, walking, roller blading, etc. trail built on the right-of-way of an abandoned train track that runs through woods and past lakes with inspiring views of the hills. Learn more at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation official site, and see my own pictorial tribute page.

Where to Next?

Introduction: "What is Water Pollution?"	What Happens at the Wastewater Treatment Plant?	How Are Pollutants Measured?	Links to Other Information

Joel Gordon

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This page accessed times since Nov. 23, 1997.