Do you know where our waste goes when we flush our toilets? Do you know how it is treated and disposed of safely.
The Tybee Sewage Treatment Facility-That's where!
The Tybee Facility is well maintained, modern, and includes updated monitoring software and brand new odor containment measures. The bad smell sometimes observed over the past year has been almost eliminated. A new smell containment housing removes sulfur-containing compounds, as well as the inorganic gas, hydrogen sulfide, which cause the nasty smells. The neighbors are most appreciative of the new addition. The objective of the sewage treatment facility is to collect our waste and produce a disposable effluent without causing trouble or harm to the natural or human environment. Sounds simple, but it isn’t. Our waste is pumped to the Polk Street facility where it is treated and processed. Solid waste is broken down naturally by aeration, filtration, settling, and bacteria. Visually, the river of churning waste, waterfalls and settling ponds are a little like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate River, but not. After several cycles, the water is filtered through ultraviolet (UV) light to kill any remaining harmful bacteria. Bio-solids – called “sludge” are removed from the waste water, oven dried, and then taken to the County Landfill. Ultraviolet light is used instead of chlorine, iodine, or other chemicals to kill the bacteria and other harmful pathogens. Because no chemicals are used, the treated water has no adverse effect on organisms that later consume it, as may be the case with chemical treatment methods. UV radiation causes damage to the genetic structure of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens, making them incapable of reproduction.
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source: A Tour Not to Be Forgotten: The Tybee Sewage Treatment Facility By Bill Gillespie