Wastewater must go through many steps before it can be released into nature.
Participants of the Prince William County Service Authority’s (PWCSA) Water Academy learned about the wastewater treatment process during a tour of the H.L. Mooney Advanced Water Reclamation Facility in Woodbridge last month.
The Water Academy is a free, five week program that’s held each year.
Where water comes from and what PWCSA does are a couple topics that are covered.
Here is more information about the steps to treat the water (Click on the different stages to see what they look like):
- Influent: During the Influent stage, rocks, hair and plastic are removed from wastewater that enters the facility.
- Primary Clarification: The wastewater goes into the primary clarifiers. Grease and oil are taken out, and the solids settle at the bottom and are pumped out as a sludge-like substance.
- Biological Treatment: In the Biological Treatment step, the water is pushed into aeration basins. Very small bugs help remove nitrogen and other matter by eating the waste.
- Secondary Clarification: Then, the wastewater proceeds through the secondary clarifiers, where it settles again.
- Filtration: For the Filtration stage, the water passes through sand, which catches small particles.
- UV Disinfection: The water is cleaned further by ultraviolet light.
- Cascade Aeration: After it’s disinfected, the water undergoes cascade aeration. During this process, it travels down several steps and oxygen is added. The clean water enters the Neabsco Creek and then goes to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.
Tours of the plant are offered between 9 a.m. and Noon on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s. Citizens must be at least 10 years old or in fourth-grade to participate.
To learn more about the tours, email tours@pwcsa.org.
