The wastewater treatment process is actually the same biological process that occurs in nature—it is simply condensed to an 8- to 12-hour time period.
First, five pump stations collect wastewater and transport it to the Wastewater Treatment Facility. There the water is held in settling tanks where gravity removes more than 70 percent of the particles in the water.
Next, the water is purified in aeration tanks where natural organisms consume the remaining dissolved materials as a food source. Within these tanks, the organisms have an environment in which they can live in a greater concentration than in nature, effectively speeding up the process.
The water is then held in another set of settling tanks where gravity removes the natural organisms.
Finally, the water is disinfected with a chlorine solution and thoroughly tested before being reintroduced into the environment. Approximately 10 percent of the treated water is used within the plant to cool the power generating facility.