Beatrice dumps raw sewage into river
Posted: Saturday, May 12, 2007
BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) -- Beatrice has stopped dumping 1.5 million gallons a day of raw sewage into the Big Blue River, but it may be weeks before it's safe to go back in the water downstream near the plant.
Plant operator Dean Kelch said Friday that the plant resumed operation Thursday evening.
Heavy rain last weekend caused flooding in many parts of Nebraska. Beatrice got 4.26 inches over a 96-hour period.
The Big Blue hit 23.9 feet Monday night in Beatrice -- 7.9 feet above flood stage at 16 feet.
The floodwaters overwhelmed the plant, which sits about 150 yards from the river on Beatrice's southeast side.
The state Department of Environmental Quality OK'd the dumping of raw sewage starting Monday afternoon.
"All of our pumps couldn't handle it, so we had to bypass the plant," Kelch said.
The normal flow through the plant is about 1.5 million gallons a day, Kelch said. The flooding raised that more than sixfold -- to about 10 million gallons a day.
The wastewater treatment system also got what he called "hydraulic shock," wiping out all the natural micro-organisms that help break down raw sewage.
"They just have to grow and re-establish themselves," Kelch said. "That could take several weeks to get them up to snuff," so the plant won't be working at 100 percent efficiency for at least three weeks.
Given the volume of water moving down the river, the city discharge quickly dilutes, state officials said.
On the Net:
Department of Environmental Quality: http://www.deq.state.ne.us/
Plant operator Dean Kelch said Friday that the plant resumed operation Thursday evening.
Heavy rain last weekend caused flooding in many parts of Nebraska. Beatrice got 4.26 inches over a 96-hour period.
The Big Blue hit 23.9 feet Monday night in Beatrice -- 7.9 feet above flood stage at 16 feet.
The floodwaters overwhelmed the plant, which sits about 150 yards from the river on Beatrice's southeast side.
The state Department of Environmental Quality OK'd the dumping of raw sewage starting Monday afternoon.
"All of our pumps couldn't handle it, so we had to bypass the plant," Kelch said.
The normal flow through the plant is about 1.5 million gallons a day, Kelch said. The flooding raised that more than sixfold -- to about 10 million gallons a day.
The wastewater treatment system also got what he called "hydraulic shock," wiping out all the natural micro-organisms that help break down raw sewage.
"They just have to grow and re-establish themselves," Kelch said. "That could take several weeks to get them up to snuff," so the plant won't be working at 100 percent efficiency for at least three weeks.
Given the volume of water moving down the river, the city discharge quickly dilutes, state officials said.
On the Net:
Department of Environmental Quality: http://www.deq.state.ne.us/
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