Ever wonder what happens to the “stuff” you flush? Whether it’s water down the kitchen sink or water down the, err... toilet, it all ends up in the same place — the Waynesville wastewater treatment facility.
It might not be the rosiest topic, but it’s one that affects nearly every resident living within the city’s boundaries.
And as regulations set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources continue to morph, it’s one that will impact every citizen using the municipal service.
Built in the early 1940s, the plant is capable of running 1.2 million gallons of wastewater through its facility each day. Around 700,000 gallons are typically processed on a daily basis, supervisor Danny Graves said.
Water that comes into the plant eventually leaves for the Roubidoux. And when it does, it is safe for both water life and people, Graves said, pointing out that tests are completed routinely to make sure the water being treated has the right mixture of “organics” to break down the solids being processed, and to ensure the water that leaves doesn’t pose a risk to the environment or the people.
It seems simple enough: Water enters the plant, proceeds through the stages of aerobic breakdown, which typically lasts between 24 and 36 hours, and processes through a distiller that separates smaller particles of solids from the water. Then it’s onto the contact chamber where the water is chlorinated to kill any remaining material before it’s de-chlorinated and sent downstream, so to speak, to the Roubidoux.
The remaining solids, which consist largely of organic matter, move to a storage facility where it sets for 45 days, and the process changes from aerobic to anaerobic. Farmers apply the sludge to their fields as a fertilizer.
 It’s a growing practice, Graves said, noting that like the water entering and leaving  the plant, detailed records tracking sludge are kept in accordance to existing laws.
But what about when it rains? We’ve all seen water rushing down streets into storm drains. It’s wastewater, too, albeit a little bit different than what one might consider “wastewater”.
 But it carries pollutants just like anything else. And while for now that water can be stored at the facility, with runoff going into the Roubidoux, new regulations are set to change that practice.
The need for improvements to the entire system will include an additional clarifier to process the extra water.
“One of our problems is how we’re going to deal with the storm water,” Graves said, explaining that in heavy rains, the plant simply can’t process the extra load weather brings.  “But the laws are changing and we’re going to have to bring all the water through the plant.”
Having the new systems in place could be required in as little as three years. But getting it done won’t be cheap, and the city is working on obtaining funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help offset the cost.
Still, the project is estimated to cost about $5.2 million. About $2 million is hoped for in grants, leaving those who use the service to pick up the remaining $3.2 million.
Citizens will have a chance to voice their opinion on the matter when a revenue bond designed to fund the $3.2 million comes up for a vote. If it is successful, residents will see an increase on their sewer bills, although that amount is still unknown as the city continues to look into the matter.
City Administrator Bruce Harrill cautioned that if the bond doesn’t pass, residents will still see an increase because the upgrades to the plant must be done and another type of funding— one that has a higher interest rate— will be sought to cover the remaining portion of the project.
“Now the overflow is primarily water, because the solids will settle down, but it’s still a problem,” Harrill said of the storm water issue. “We have a great plant, we’re just trying to make it better.”