During periods of heavy rainfall, the wastewater volume in a sewer system can exceed the capacity of the sewer system or treatment plant.
These overflows, called combined sewer overflows (CSOs), contain not only stormwater but also untreated human and industrial waste, toxic materials, and debris. They are a major water pollution concern for the Chesapeake Bay.
Current research is revealing that stormwater can carry pathogens and that this stormwater is entering wastewater treatment facilities. During periods of intense rainfall, not only can stormwater carry higher amounts of pathogens, but it also increases the flow rate of the wastewater treatment facility. When the flow rate exceeds the facilities’ treatment capacity it can impact treatment performance. Even relatively moderate rainfall events could create instant surface run-off and the overtopping of sewers already close to maximum capacity.
While the Cape Charles plant is generally equipped to handle high flow water, consistent rain events may still pose a problem. Below are the figures reported by the town for the last month, which indicates that water is exceeding wastewater flow to the plant.
The numerous beach closures and testing that has confirmed that a consistent human signature is present in the bacteria content, a closer watch on wastewater performance should be considered.
The town has purchased upgrades to the current mixers currently employed at the plant, so this may considerably during high water events.
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Now I’m confused about the claim that “water is exceeding wastewater flow to the plant.”
Normally “Water Production” means the volume of drinking water produced. Not all of the drinking water becomes wastewater; irrigation water and leaks do not return to the wastewater treatment plant.
The maximum throughput for wastewater treatment is NOT the metric that matters: the metrics that matter are the maximum wastewater treatment capacity (gpd) PLUS how the operators manage the available volume in untreated wastewater/storm water storage tanks within the plant.
How about posting the source document for this data; it’s not on the Cape Charles Public Works page. (What is on the page is a “2016 Drinking Water Report” that was posted as of July 2017; that report has 2015 test data. I wonder where the “2018 Drinking Water Report” is?) (And no, I’m not drinking Cape Charles water when I am in town…)
Note: Thank you for making good points. The data posted comes from the monthly departmental reports, Public Works. Water coming into the plant has been an issue with town council for some time, Steve Bennett and Andy Buchholz in particular.
My god, could you pat yourself a little harder on the back?