Brookville Service Department Superintendent Joe Hamiel explains how the city’s wastewater treatment plant works.
Terry Baver | The Register-Herald
BROOKVILLE — Brookville Service Department Superintendent Joe Hamiel, at the request of city manager Jack Kuntz, talked to council concerning the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
Hamiel talked to council about the plant at its Aug. 6 meeting after Johnsville-Brookville Road resident Mike Hughes questioned council about the facility’s status at the July 16 meeting.
Hamiel holds an Ohio Class III Wastewater Treatment operator’s license.
Because Brookville operates a Class III sewage treatment plant, a Class III wastewater treatment operator is required for the operation and oversight of wastewater treatment processes and equipment.
Hamiel stressed at no time has raw sewage been released into Wolf Creek.
“The wastewater plant is designed for 1.2 million gallons of sewage a day with a maximum capacity of five million gallons,” Hamiel said.
“Everything over that 1.2 million gallons is treated. Nothing is released to the creek as raw sewage. It’s never happened. We have the capacity to do that,” Hamiel continued.
Hamiel noted “as of right now, we’re treating about 500,000 gallons of sewage a day with regular weather and no rain,” Hamiel said.
Hamiel said when it rains, “we can see that figure go up to 2-3 million gallons.”
“When that happens, you’re treating rainwater,” Hamiel said, adding the rainwater is “diluting the raw sewage.”
Hamiel also said when there is a rain event, “the sewer plant has a storm mode we put our sewer plant into.”
“It’s approved through the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). When they’re out to inspect us, they look at it, we show them exactly how it works and they are totally fine with it, stating this is exactly the way this plant should run when you’re in a storm event,” Hamiel said.
Hamiel noted one area the city is looking into is the elimination of the city’s inflow and infiltration problems which results in water “coming into our sewer system that is not supposed to be there.”
Hamiel explained the unwanted water can be coming from such sources as downspouts tied into floor drains in older homes that drain directly into the sanitary sewer.
“If we can do some leg work looking at some inflow and infiltration issues, I believe we could cut a lot of our rainwater events down,” Hamiel said.
Hamiel noted testing of the water upstream and downstream of the plant is conducted multiple times a week.
“I do have proof and documentation that our downstream samples are better than our upstream samples,” Hamiel said.
“So we’re actually putting in a better quality water into the creek than what’s coming upstream of the water treatment plant,” Hamiel continued.
Hamiel also noted any city projects have to be approved by the EPA.
“We have to have a permit to install a plant, business, or whatever it may be,” Hamiel said.
“The EPA will run all their numbers and they will look at everything.
Hamiel said the EPA will look at the treatment plant’s capacity and will determine if the proposed development is within the plant’s capacity.
Hamiel invited anyone who is interested to take a tour of the plant.
“If you would like to take tour of the sewer plant, call me. I will be more than glad to show you how the system works,” Hamiel said.
Hamiel may be reached at (937) 833-2135, ext. 401.
Reach Terry Baver at [email protected].
