Ephrata starts wastewater plant improvements

EPHRATA - Ephrata is looking for bids for an improvement to its

wastewater treatment facility.

The city council voted to allow staff to accept bids for a variable

flow device for the facility. City Administrator Wes Crago

described the piece as a rheostat switch to control rotors which

add oxygen to the sewage as it's being processed.

EPHRATA - Ephrata is looking for bids for an improvement to its wastewater treatment facility.

The city council voted to allow staff to accept bids for a variable flow device for the facility. City Administrator Wes Crago described the piece as a rheostat switch to control rotors which add oxygen to the sewage as it's being processed.

"Wastewater comes in to a place where stuff is screened," he said. "It's pumped into an oxidation ditch where we encourage the growth of certain kinds of bacteria ... The small propellers (in the oxidation ditch) are what we are talking about putting a rheostat, where those will run, not just on or off, but run as needed."

The new equipment is being partially paid with a $135,000 Department of Commerce-administered grant. The money comes as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and is aimed at helping to improve energy efficiency or helping to aid conservation.

The city is matching the grant with $106,000.

Crago said the device will provide a substantial energy savings to the city.

The device was one of three suggestions made by Gray and Osborne to improve the facility built in 1999. The study started after the city experienced problems with separating solids from liquids, Crago said in a previous presentation. When they aren't separated correctly, it can cause the plant to stop and send sewage into a separate container.

Nancy Morter, a Gray and Osborne project engineer, said they suspect the current rotor is breaking up bacteria which help solid sewage settle. Engineers estimated the item would cost about $240,000.