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In 1965, the Town of Canton constructed a sewage treatment facility designed to treat an average of 375,000 gallons per day. Sewage treatment at that time consisted of settling the solids, grease and scum collection, partial removal of soluble wastes, and disinfection of the treated wastewater (called effluent) with chlorine gas prior to discharge into the Farmington River. The solids collected were stored in two tanks called digesters. After being reduced in volume and stabilized by bacteria maintained in the digesters, the digested sludge was land filled. The original treatment facility served the town well past its 20-year design life.
As the years went by, more stringent regulations came from the State of CT, Department of Environmental Protection. At the same time, wastewater flows to the facility continued to increase and the Farmington River became an important source of recreation. Around 1987, the Canton Water Pollution Control Authority recommended expansion to better serve the community and further protect the environment. The new facility was designed and construction was complete in the early 1990’s. This newly upgraded facility could remove a much greater percentage of pollutants from the wastewater with a total Design Flow of 800,000 gallons per day.
The wastewater treatment facility operates continuously, receiving cloudy brownish-gray sewage full of debris and waste solids. It uses a dense microorganism population to stabilize the solids so they can readily settle and be disposed of properly. All solids collected are hauled by tanker truck to an incineration facility. The final result of this complex process is a wastewater that has been completely reclaimed as a high-quality effluent that can be safely discharged to the Farmington River for recreation. The process protects public health and the environment.
The process starts with rags, rocks, and sticks being broken up and shredded. Pumps are used to lift wastewater to the primary clarifiers. The primary clarifiers allow for the removal of easily settable solids, as well as floating material like grease and scum.
Next, the wastewater flows through a trickling filter. The wastewater trickles down through thousands of pieces of plastic media. Microorganisms grow on the plastic surface and use the incoming dissolved organic matter for food. In doing so, they naturally reduce the pollutant load to the next process. The trickler effluent then flows through rotating biological contactors. Attached microorganisms further remove dissolved organic matter from the wastewater and reduce other pollutants, such as ammonia. The RBC effluent is pumped to the secondary clarifiers where the, now stabilized, solids can settle. These solids, teeming with useful bacteria and microorganisms, are either recycled to assist with the advanced secondary treatment process or wasted to holding tanks for final disposal.
Sand filters provide tertiary treatment to the water overflowing the secondary clarifiers by filter action. This process further enhances the water quality by removing fine suspended material. Following the sand filters is disinfection. Canton no longer uses chlorine gas for disinfection, as the byproducts can be toxic to sensitive aquatic organisms and health risks to the public are very high. Instead, ultraviolet light effectively inactivates the harmful bacteria. Prior to final discharge, the total gallon amount is metered through a device called a Parshall Flume.
The water pollution control facility provides service for approximately 2000 connections. Three pump stations direct wastewater to the facility utilizing ~26 miles of public sewers. One station serves areas local to Town Bridge Road. Another serves businesses at The Shops @ Farmington Valley as well as the local sewer shed area. A third station is located within and serves the Dyer Farms community. The Town maintains service agreements with Avon, Burlington, and Farmington for wastewater treatment and for the use of wastewater trunk lines.
In 2004, the Canton Water Pollution Control Facility received an Excellence Award for the Operation and Maintenance of its facility from the United States Environmental Protection Agency - New England Region 1. In 2005, the Canton Water Pollution Control Facility received The National Second Place Clean Water Act Recognition Award for the Excellence in the Operation and Maintenance of its facility. In January of 2013, the Canton Water Pollution Control Authority received the Asset Management Award from the New England Water Environment Association.
The Canton Water Pollution Control Facility was rerated in 2011 and currently has an allotted discharge of 950,000 gallons per day. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits are renewed every 5 years and typically result in more stringent regulations. The Canton Water Pollution Control Authority and its WPCF staff, with technical assistance provided by professional engineers, actively manage the capacity and performance of the facility and its assets. The goal is to provide consistently high treatment and service and to replace or upgrade its aging equipment systems at a reasonable annual user rate.
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