Wastewater Facilities

Wastewater Treatment Facility

Wayne's wastewater treatment facilities were placed into operation in March of 1985. The initial stages of the project date back to 1976 when the City received a grant to prepare a Facility Plan. This report evaluated various types of treatment methods that could satisfy the city's needs for expanded capacity and provide the degree of treatment required to meet federally-mandated discharge quality standards. The selected, most cost-effective system involved the use of a mechanical Rotating Biological Contactor plant to replace the former lagoon system.

The plant treats an average of 600,000 gallons per day with a peak capacity of 850,000 gallons per day. The plant is designed to serve a maximum population of 8,500 people.

Construction began in August 2010 on a new wastewater treatment plant, utilizing a system developed by Aquarius Technologies. The new treatment plant went online in the fall of 2011. There are seven main parts to Wayne's wastewater treatment process. With the construction and implementation of the Aquarius system, the wastewater lagoon has since been decommissioned. 

How is Wayne's Wastewater Treated?

When waste water is sent down the drains into the sanitary sewer system, it is sent through a series of lift stations and sewer mains to the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Once it arrives, it is treated in the following manner:

1. Lift Station / Vertical Screens

Wastewater enters the treatment facility via the final lift station. This lift station also houses a 33-foot deep, 6 mm vertical screen that filters out larger waste particles from the wastewater. 

2. Headworks Building / Degritter

Next the initially screened water is sent to the Headworks Building where it is run through a degritter and a 1 mm drum screen that further removes smaller, finer solid waste particles from the water.

3. Blower

After running through the above screens and filters, wastewater is sent to the Aquarius system tanks where air is added from blowers in the Headworks Building.

4. Aquarius

Once past the Headworks building, the wastewater is sent to the Aquarius tanks for further treatment. The water is sent to a series of cells that are 15-feet deep. Each cell contains cloth media that enables biological breakdown and elimination of most of the remaining waste that is still present in the water at this point. 

5. Clarifiers

After leaving the Aquarius cells, wastewater is sent to one of two circular clarifiers. In these tanks, any remaining light solids float to the top of the water, while remaining heavier solids sink to the bottom. The solids at the top are skimmed off, while those that remain at the bottom are pumped out. 

6. UV Treatment

At this stage, most of the wastewater is sent to a tank where it passes through an ultraviolet light to remove any remaining bacteria that may be present in the water. Once this water passes through UV treatment it is sent to be discharged into Logan Creek south of the treatment facility. 

7. Digester

Any waste remaining after running through the clarifiers is sent to the digester. The digester serves as a holding point for further treatment. From here, liquid is pumped back to step #1 at the vertical screen to begin treatment again, while any remaining solid waste is separated out and sent on to the belt press. 

8. Belt Press

This is the final stop for any remaining solid waste. Here waste is sent through a belt press which removes any remaining liquid from the waste. The liquid is sent back to the beginning of the treatment process, while the solids are collected and hauled away to be applied for agricultural uses.