City recognized for sewer system upgrades

The Columbia Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant recently received the American Public Works Association’s Exceptional Performance Award for its upgraded treatment process.

Highlights of the upgraded system include:

The new five-stage system significantly improves nitrogen removal while maintaining low phosphorus levels.

The project supports both environmental protection and future growth, the city noted in a release.

Award recognition highlights strong staff performance in project management and commitment to public service.

“Since the completion of the bioreactor addition the test results we see have far exceeded initial expectations. The permit discharge limit on  nitrogen is 37.1 pounds a day, currently we are averaging 6 pounds aday on our nitrogen discharge, and the permit limit on phosphorus is 4.6  pounds a day, currently we are averaging 0.76 pounds a day on our phosphorus discharge. Both nutrient discharges are well below the City’s permitted limits on these parameters,” plant manager Grady Jenkins said.

The city recently completed about $4 million in upgrades to its plant. With more growth in to the future, further upgrades will likely be needed, however.