Recently I wrote about my tour at the Water Treatment Plant where they create clean, drinkable water for Peoria residents. This time I am reporting on the other side… dirty water!
Most flush their toilet and never think any more about what happens to everything you just sent into the sewer. Well, there is a process and a lot of people working to ensure we live in a clean society, which isn’t the case everywhere in the world.
Fred and I toured the Butler Drive Water Reclamation Facility in Peoria, which is one of several in the city, but only one of its kind. They have a smaller footprint and are more efficient in their processing versus some older technologies. Orlando was able to entertain and educate us at the same time – he’s been with Peoria for 2 years now after retiring with 30-years service for the City of Phoenix. He’s seen some shit… pun intended!
You will see me pictured in front of a large bin (roll off style dumpster) that is full of… well you know. This is what remains after all the processing and moisture removal. From this facility, they fill 6 of these bins per day with roughly 30,000 pounds each. This means 90 tons of waste per day, which is hauled to the dump. In some cities, like Phoenix, they turn some of this material into fertilizers for non-edible vegetation.
Big equipment is involved including a few centrifuges that run approximately 16-hours per day every day, holidays too. The site is 40-acres and was opened in 2009.
Some cities also will use the final water product and reintroduce into their drinking water… Peoria does not, but I hear Scottsdale does along with Phoenix exploring the option. Peoria send this treated water out for use on golf courses, parks and even the Pioneer Park Fishing Pond that’s around the corner.
Same as the clean side, we learned that they really want & need younger people to enter this field. You don’t need a college degree to make a 6-figure income and fairly quickly. They offer on the job training with electrical, plumbing, instrumentation, computer work, mechanical, etc.
It’s definitely an interesting process, but one that is very necessary. If you’re thinking about a career change or know someone younger needing a jumpstart, we can connect you to the right people for these opportunities. I will leave you with a few more photos of the site/equipment.
