Crystal Lake said recently that improvements will be made at two of its wastewater plants. | Courtesy of Crystal Lake Public Works
Crystal Lake said recently that improvements will be made at two of its wastewater plants. | Courtesy of Crystal Lake Public Works
Crystal Lake said recently that improvements will be made at two of its wastewater plants.
The city said these projects were a result of funding from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. The improvements include an anaerobic digester and centrifuge for Plant 2 and an aerobic digester, trickling filter and blower equipment at Plant 3.
Digesters consist of microorganisms that process the sludge biologically into a simpler form. Both forms work similarly but one, the aerobic version, also utilizes oxygen to stabilize the waste material. The centrifuge is utilized to remove water from post-digested sludge material. At the second plant the addition of the digesters and centrifuges to allow them to perform at higher capacity and bring the facility in line with regulatory codes.
Blower equipment transfers oxygen to the digesters and the trickling filter utilizes plastic material to develop a film of microbial slime that allows further breakdown of waste material pollutants.
Planned improvements at the plants are anticipated to save on energy costs and lessen the carbon impact on the environment.
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