Water Pollution Control Plant Back On-Line After Flood

Employees at the Water Pollution Control Plant have been working 24 hours a day in 12-hour shifts since the flood on September 28 to restore the plant to its full operational capacity.

“Due to the flood conditions from Tropical Storm Jeanne, the Roanoke River flooded the plant,” said Scott Shirley, plant manager. “Many of the major plant systems and critical equipment were damaged when they were submerged by floodwaters, and employees have been working hard since the flood to restore the full functionality of the plant.”

Thanks to employee efforts and help from local contractors, all treatment processes at the plant will be functional today. Optimal treatment conditions will be restored within several days. As a comparison, after the 1985 flood, which caused similar equipment damage, primary treatment was not restored for three weeks. After the September 28 flood, employees restored not only primary but advanced treatment to an operational level after only nine days.

Because flooding can adversely affect all wastewater treatment facilities and septic systems, untreated wastewater can enter waterways causing unhealthy conditions. Citizens should refrain from recreational activities in the Roanoke River until regulatory agencies issue notification that river recreation is again safe.