Editor’s note: The first two photographs were submitted by Barry Dykhuizen. The others were supplied by Fehr Graham Engineering & Environmental.
Scores of people of all ages toured the state-of-the-art, City of Morrison Waste Water Treatment Plant, on Saturday, November 4, 2017. The Open House was set from 9:00 a.m. to noon.
It was a wet, chilly morning. Even so, City Administrator Barry Dykhuizen observed, “We were happy for the good turnout and that people came to see first-hand [the new facility]. The comments demonstrated people were impressed. It was a good event.”
In the Control Room Laboratory, Waste Water Operator Shane Osbourne explains the water testing procedure to youngsters. In the background, City Alderman Mick Welding, left, and Jerry Lindsey (hidden) discussed the facility.
Osbourne explained the AeroMod Computer in the Lab, which monitors the cleaning process at every step.
City of Morrison Director of Public Works Gary Tresenriter conducted tours well after the noon closing. “I didn’t get out of there until almost 1:00 p.m.” He echoed CA Dykhuizen’s comments, estimating the visitors at 75 to 80. “People were coming all morning long. Everybody was really impressed with the plant. The technology was the biggest thing. It was a great turnout; I was impressed.”
Tresenriter is shown with back to camera, on the catwalk above the AeroMod tanks. At left is Noah Carmichael of Fehr Graham.
“Total cost of the Wastewater Plant, two new lift stations, and necessary wastewater main installation is approximately $16,000,000,” Tresenriter told the Editor, after the Open House.
“There are 2000 cubic yards of concrete in the AeroMod, which is a series of ten concrete tanks,” stated Mayor Everett Pannier. “They process the water from start to finish.” He thought attendance was “at least 100. It was well received [with] a nice, continuous crowd. There were a lot of nice comments. I was pleased to see the people turn out” on a wet morning.
A visitor traces the flow of water through the Waste Water Treatment Plant with her children. At the end of its journey, sanitized water is discharged into Rock Creek.
Council Alderman Welding noted, “Now we can see [the whole process]. I didn’t know we had to build a lab for testing the water. There is close scrutiny of the tests; it’s always running. An alarm goes off [if adjustments are needed], and [Tresenriter or Osbourne] can adjust the controls remotely, from a smartphone or home/office computer.”
“Ultra-violet rays kill bacteria, but they do not kill the fish.” Osbourne drew a glass of tap water and compared it to a glass of treated water, demonstrating how clear the final product is. One could safely drink this treated water, Welding added, but no one volunteered.
“We were very excited about the turnout; there were many more than we anticipated,” said Welding. “It was good for the community to see what they have been paying for, in those [increased] water bills.”