Anatomy of an Ideal Municipal Plant

Plainville, Connecticut's wastewater treatment facility is anything but plain. This 3 MGD facility, located in a small, central Connecticut city, is the picture of innovative, cost effective management by 10 dedicated employees including supervisor and part-time secretary. Supervised by Janet Marineau, the Plainville facility is meeting standards, improving performance and keeping costs stable. The facility, originally built in the mid-1940s was completely upgraded in 1977. It has steadily improved to meet more exacting Federal and state standards. The plant serves a population of 16,000. Wastewater enters the facility through three mains, after passing through a grit screw it enters one of four rectangular primary clarifiers. The partially cleaned wastewater then flows through two large diameter trickling filters followed by four rows of rotating biological contractors (RBC). The output of the RBCs settles in four rectangular secondary clarifiers. The effluent is then filtered through four sand filters, post aeration in a large rectangular chamber (now covered for odor control), and, finally, the wastewater is passed through a Trogan UltraViolet light disinfection system replacing the need for chlorine.
Doug Kahle, Jim Kaine, Mike Cianchette, Rick Tingle, Supervisor Janet Marineau, Mike Conklin, Steve Gregory, Doug Kahle		Although the facility has always been well run well, operations went from "good" to "better" when Janet Marineau took the reins of the facility on September 8, 1998. Formally, supervisor of the Canton, CT wastewater treatment system, Supervisor Marineau is one of only two female wastewater treatment supervisors in Connecticut; Jeanette Semon oversees the Stamford system. The team who runs the Plainville facility are closely knit group of ten men lead by Janet Marineau. The plant, first constructed in the late 1940's was entirely rebuild in 1977.
Using a combination of Federal and state grants and 12½% of local funding the plant was built to highest standards. Now, the standard of effluent quality is increasing steadily without funding from the Federal government to finance the cost of improvements. Improvements must now be innovative and cost effective.		Trickling filters help clean water.
Large Archamides screws lifts wastewater from trickling filters to RBCs where the wastewater is clarified prior to final clarification and then, aeration and ultraviolet light final disinfection.
Jan Marineau checks on plans to add curtains between the covering the walkways and causing odor and slippery		RBCs to prevent spray from the rotating filters surface.
When odor drifted from the aeration tank, Jan Marineau simply and cheaply commissioned a local company to design and build a cover. The result: complete reduction of odor. The cost of this innovative solution is minimal, but the creative approach -- invaluable.		Aeration Tank Uncovered, 1995 with Mike Conklin overseeing.
This tank shows the tarp covering the aeration tank. The edge is pulled up to show the water flowing through the channels. The next stage for the effluent is UV.		Rick Tingle checks on the effluent quality.

	Jan Marineau and her supervisor, Bob Jahn review the control panel of the facility.	tertiary filters