Wastewater Department

Wastewater Dept.

This page was last edited on 05/14/2007

Wastewater Department Operation & Mission Statement

The main responsibility of the City of St. Marys' wastewater facilities is to preserve and protect human health and the environment by transporting wastewater from residential, commercial, and industrial sources to the wastewater plant and treating it to acceptable levels before discharge to the St. Marys River. St. Marys citizens first addressed wastewater in 1908 when they built one of the first complete wastewater facilities in Ohio. Today, our wastewater facilities serve a population of over 10,000 people.

Wastewater pumped into the Wastewater Treatment Plant undergoes complex treatment to remove pollutants using physical, biological, and chemical processes. The plant operates under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by EPA, which specifies and limits the types and amounts of pollutants that can be discharged to the St. Marys River. We do an excellent job of meeting State and Federal limits and produce an acceptable discharge. The treatment plant also processes solids that are removed or generated during the treatment process. Treated solids, known as biosolids, are applied to farmland. Laboratory tests are performed routinely each day to ensure that each process is operating at peak levels. The wastewater collection system consists of about 1,008 manholes and 45 miles of underground sanitary sewers that convey domestic and industrial sewage to lift stations where pumps send the sewage to the plant for treatment. The collection system encompasses all of St. Marys. We also treat the Wastewater from several Auglaize County owned systems bordering Grand Lake St. Marys.

The City of St. Marys has established long range plans and goals that help guide studies and improvements necessary to maintain adequate wastewater facilities and meet constantly EPA requirements. These plans and goals are reviewed each year and adjusted as needed. Over the years, these plans have resulted in the regular replacement of essential equipment, and the construction of new lift stations, major trunk sanitary sewers, and infrastructure to extend services into new areas. Ongoing studies include those that address sanitary sewer and lift station flow capacities, storm water entering the system during high rain events, and plant and sanitary sewer improvements to optimize treatment and the handling of high flows.

History of the City of St. Marys Wastewater Department

DATE	IMPROVEMENT	FEATURES
1908	Original Treatment Plant & Sewer System, Located between St. Marys River and Canal (One of first complete wastewater in Ohio)	400,000 gallon per day treatment capacity. Included: lift station with two pumps, two septic tanks, one dosing chamber, six intermittent sand filters, and one sludge drying bed.
1948	New Wastewater Plant at Site of Present Facility. Three New Pumps Installed in Original Lift Station	800,000 gallon per day treatment capacity. Utilized primary and secondary treatment and anaerobic digestion.
1960	Northwest Trunk Sewer System Project	Two new lift stations. Included Auglaize County Villa Nova Sewer District.
1969	Completed an Addition to Treatment Plant	2,000,000 gallon per day treatment capacity.
1989	Completed Sewer System Overflow Improvement Project	Increased the capacity of the major lift stations (replaced the 1908 lift station and remodeled the 1960 lift stations). Installed a 2,700,000 gallon equalization basin at the treatment plant.
1989	Treatment Plant Upgrade (No increase in capacity)	Installed computerized process monitoring & control system. Expanded laboratory. Installed emergency power generator.
1991	Grand Lake St. Marys Southeast Sewer District	Built by Auglaize County, St. Marys treats wastewater.
1992	Sandy Beach Sewer District	Built by Auglaize County, St. Marys treats wastewater.
2000	Completed Northeast Sewer Improvement Project	New gravity sewer to serve McKinley Road. New lift station to pump wastewater directly to treatment plant. Eventually, the station will serve all the northeast part of the City.

Wastewater Department Operation & Mission Statement

Send mail to dsprague@cityofstmarys.net with questions or comments about this web site.