Torrington is looking to significantly reduce the amount of treated water released into the North Platte River.
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TORRINGTON – The City of Torrington discharges 500,000 gallons of treated waste water back into the North Platte River every day, more than 15 million gallons per month. It seems like a lot of water for a small community, but it is about average for similar towns across America, since it is more than just households that create waste water. It is also a by-product schools, hospitals, colleges, restaurants, bars and car washes. All add to the thousands of gallons of water that need to be treated on a 24 hour a day basis.
However, according to Tom Troxel, supervisor for the city’s water/waste water utility, Torrington is looking to significantly reduce the amount of treated water released into the North Platte River.
“Our goal is to become a non-discharging system into the river,” Troxel explained. “Long-term, our goal is to not only be a non-discharging facility, but to use that water for fertilizing ag land.”
Currently, waste water is collected in the city’s sewer lines and flows to treatment facility. Once it reaches the facility, the effluent flows through grinders that pulverizes “indigestible solids” that are any materials not intended for the system, like plastics, hay, leaves or small branches.
After the grinder, the raw sewage passes through the lift station, which is a series of pumps that pumps the material into the first of four treatment ponds. The first three ponds aerate the material, with the water becoming increasingly cleaner as it passes through each pond. The final stage is the finishing pond before being discharged into the river.
Troxel explained that environmental regulations for pumping treated water back into live water sources, such as rivers and lakes, continues to get more restrictive, which increases the cost of water treatment. Currently, the city, with the assistance of a $1 million loan from the United States Department of Agriculture, is planning to make repairs and improvements to the “finishing pond,” which is the last pond in the system