WESTLAKE MUD1 and MORTON ROAD MUD WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY

In 2006 and 2007, the Westlake MUD1 and Morton Road MUD water boards jointly began preparations to update the wastewater treatment facility. As these plans were in the development stages, we had a major part of the system fail and it was brought to the forefront of our maintenance plans to replace the system. Our engineer, Brown and Gay Engineers, Inc. began to draw up the plans for the total renovation.

Construction is now complete and the old system has been removed and we are proud to announce that our new system is now fully operational and is online serving both Westlake MUD1 and Morton Road MUD. We have a system that should last 25 to 30 years.

Attaining this has been an arduous task that we completed in January 2009. Building the $4 million plant was done using funds from past years bond proceeds from elections held in 2000. Westlake MUD 1 paid for its share of the plant without raising taxes and maintenance fees for our district. As a matter of fact, we have not adjusted the tax rate and maintenance fees for 8 years.

The following is an overview of the plant and its processes that your wastewater goes through preparing it to be released back into the environment.

The first step is the input through the bar screen (on left in the air) where trash and debris are removed before entering the aeration basin. The waste products in this basin are consumed by bacteria. Waste products and bacteria flow from the aeration basin (on the right) to the clarifiers. The structure on the left is the digester. This process ultimately saves the districts money

Both east and west clarifiers provide the same function, of separating out solids to the bottom of tanks for recycling, from clear water ready to be input to the chlorine contact unit where the water is treated with chemicals to kill harmful bacteria. From here the water goes either through the chlorine contact unit or a portion is fed back through the aeration basin for reprocessing. Clean water is released back into the environment.

	The clarifier skimmers sweep the surface for debris and other waste that needs to go back through the aeration basin and reprocessed or sent to the digester.
	This is the chlorine contact structure where the bacteria in the water are killed prior to discharge back into the environment.
	These black tanks hold a solution, which is used for disinfection of wastewater. The tan unit (center) is our backup generator which is used when there is an interruption of normal electrical service. The beige building is the plants electrical service and blower building that provides air for the aeration basin and the digester to assist in the reduction of the waste.
	This non-potable (non-drinkable), water unit provides the facility with water from the chlorine contact chamber to be used only to clean and maintain the plant. This water has been treated but is not potable.