Combined Sewer Systems Vs Not

Deep Tunnel Projects

Chicago - 109 miles - 15.6 bl/galAtlanta - 12.5 miles - 177 ml/galMilwaukee - 19.4 miles - 521 ml/gal

Atlanta1995: The Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper files a federal lawsuit against Atlanta, charging that state environmental officials are incapable of making the city stop polluting the river.

1998: The city signs a consent decree with the federal and state environmental regulators and the Riverkeeper, agreeing to fix its sewers and stop polluting the Chattahoochee and South rivers.

2004: Three of four city voters approve a 1 percent sales tax to help pay for the infrastructure improvements.

***Nov. 10, 2008: Atlanta celebrates compliance with the 1998 consent decree

• $25 million Greenway Acquisition Program, under which nearly 24 miles of stream buffers in Atlanta and eight metro counties were bought to protect the waterways from development;

• Separation of 33 miles of combined sewers;

• Construction of CSO Tunnels

Groundwater Pollution

Waste Water TreatmentPrimary treatment 1. Physically removing solids, grease, & grit using grates and screens 2. Settling tanks remove suspended and floating solids, but little of the

dissolved materials. Alum added for clumping.3. 30% of BOD removed

Secondary treatment 1. Aeration Tanks promote growth of bacteria that break down the

dissolved organic wastes. 2. Living filters are also used that contain bacteria growing on sand or

plastic.3. Settling Tank or Clarification Tank4. 90% of BOD now removed Tertiary treatment 1. Chlorine, UV radiation, Ozone, chlorine are used to kill bacteria and

pathogens2. Chemical processes remove phosphorous, nitrogen, heavy metals,

and chlorine.3. Water may be rejuvenated with oxygen

Improving Water Quality

Municipal Sewage Treatment

Primary and Secondary Sewage Treatment

Waste-Water Treatment

What to do with removedWaste? - digester

Municipal Sewage Treatment

Effectiveness- shows concentrations of pollutant following treatment

Individual Septic System

Individual Septic Systems

Drain field

Individual Septic Systems

Living Bacterial Culture Inside Tank

Jonesboro• Amid the 4,000 acres of wetlands in Jonesboro, Ga., are graded pools used

to filter water. The water is pumped in from a treatment plant and flows into these ponds, which are filled with all kinds of thick vegetation, including cattails, native grasses and water lilies.

• There have been complaints from neighbors not about the odor but about something else entirely: frogs.

• From the wetlands, the water runs over a gate and into a reservoir, one of four that were built to store billions of gallons of water. Residents use about 26 million gallons of water a day and through this system, the county reclaims 10 million gallons of that.

•

• The price tag is also an advantage — it can be as little as half the cost of building a regular wastewater treatment plant.

• This idea probably won't work for bigger cities like Atlanta because it requires a lot of land. Still, it's attractive for smaller communities.

Drinking Water