Port Townsend's wastewater treatment facility sits on a relatively small footprint of land. The plant handles an average wastewater flow of 950,000 gallons per day, serving 9,500 residential and commercial users. Following the bar screen, wastewater travels through their two oxidation ditches and onto the clarifiers where solids settle out and chlorine is added to kill harmful bacteria. The clear water is then de-chlorinated and discharged to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The solids are separated into two camps – those moving on to the digesters and those being returned to the oxidation ditches to continue to eat food. The aerobic digesters continue to break down the solids that are then pumped to the belt filter press. This process certainly left an impression as you can see how dramatically the final product starts to take shape. Port Townsend produces 250 dry tons of biosolids each year that are composted with yard debris off site and sold to loyal customers.
