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WASTEWATER SYSTEM
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS |
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Q |
What
is the purpose of the waste water treatment plant? |
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A |
The purpose
of treating waste water is for protecting public health and
the environment.
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Q |
Who
owns and runs the plant? |
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A |
The
treatment plant is owned and operated by Dublin San Ramon Services
District, a special district that provides water service to
the residents of Dublin, and wastewater collection and treatment
services to the residents of Dublin and San Ramon. The district
also provides wastewater treatment services under contract to
the City of Pleasanton. Certified plant operators and other
staff receive extensive training on a continual basis to keep
current with new technology and improved operating procedures. |
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Q |
How
do we know the plant is run well? |
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Wastewater
treatment plants are very highly regulated. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, California State Department of Health Services
and San Francisco Bay Area Regional Water Quality Control Board
set very high standards for wastewater treatment. They also
require frequent monitoring and reporting of various plant functions.
The plant has an unprecedented 10-year history of no regulatory
violations. In 1992, the plant was recognized by the U.S. EPA
as the top wastewater treatment facility of its size. And many
of its personnel have received awards for being the best in
their field. |
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Q |
Why
is the plant located where it is? |
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A |
There
are two reasons why the treatment plant was built in its present
location in Pleasanton. First, it is in the valley floor where
wastewater can generally flow to it by gravity. Second, the
area at the time was an unpopulated section of the unincorporated
community of Dublin. Even if it were possible to relocate the
plant, it would cost hundreds of millions of dollars to do so. |
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Q |
What
could cause odors coming from the plant? |
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A |
Were
it not for the extensive odor control measures in place at the
plant now, odors would emanate from almost every phase of operations.
The most critical point, however, is where wastewater enters
the plant after having traveled long distances in sewer mains.
Without the presence of oxygen, odorous hydrogen sulfide builds
up rapidly in the raw sewage. Periodically, a business will
discharge a slug of wastewater that has an odor or causes an
odor producing chemical reaction that the plant cannot anticipate.
Another potential, but rare, source of odors is the wastewater
holding basin. Here wastewater is held to equalize flows through
the plant. There is a tremendously high volume of flow in the
morning hours when people are using their bathrooms and taking
showers. The holding basin also is used to delay flows until
evening hours when the electricity rates are much lower. Another
potential source of odors is where the sludge, or solid byproduct
of the wastewater treatment process, is thickened so that it
is more efficiently processed in digesters. Odors also are sometimes
caused when trucks dump sewage from septic tanks and portable
toilets at the plant. The plant receives very few odor complaints.
But the few it does are in the evenings of hot summer days when
the heat magnifies odors and still air fails to dilute or disperse
them. |
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Q |
What
is done at the plant to control odors? |
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A |
The
area where raw sewage enters the treatment plant from the sewer
mains is covered so that odors may be trapped and sent to the
"scrubber" tower. Here the air passes through biological
filters to remove odor causing sulfides. Often chemicals are
added to the raw sewage to lessen the possibility of odors through
the treatment process. Masking agents with pleasant odors are
sprayed around the holding basin, the outlet of the scrubber
tower and the eastern and southern fence lines of the plant
where residences are closest. |
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Q |
Is
there anything else near the plant that could be creating similar
odors? |
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A |
There
are several causes of similar odors around the plant. When the
City of Pleasanton opens a sewer main to make repairs while
the line is still in use, odors may be created. In addition,
maintenance of wastewater pump stations may also create odors. |
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Q |
What
can I do if I smell an odor I think is coming from the plant? |
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A |
To
assist our staff in controlling and mitigating odors emanating
from our Wastewater Treatment Plant, we have implemented an
Odor Control Hotline, which should be utilized to report any
detectable odors. This hotline should be answered by an on-duty
operator, who will log in and track any in-coming calls, and
investigate the complaint. They will also take any necessary
steps to correct the problem. The Hotline number is (925) 519-0557. |
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Q |
What
if it's pretty certain the odor is not coming from the treatment
plant? |
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A |
If it appears from either your own observation or by talking
to plant staff that the odor is not coming from the treatment
plant but from sewer lines or pump stations, call the City
of Pleasanton's Sanitary Department at 484-8304.
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