DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Iowa’s largest sewage treatment plant is spending $19 million on equipment that will decrease the amount of a harmful contaminant often found in the state’s waterways.
Within two years, the Des Moines Metropolitan Wastewater Reclamation Authority will be able to extract more than 2,000 pounds of phosphorus each day from the wastewater flowing through its facility on the southeast side of the city, The Des Moines Register (https://dmreg.co/1VIihQY ) reported. That’s nearly 80 percent of the phosphorous that travels through the pipes from 17 communities in three central Iowa counties, and a 30 percent increase in the amount of phosphorous it currently traps.
“Nitrogen is like beer, but phosphorus is like vodka,” said Chris Jones, University of Iowa research engineer. “You just need a tiny bit (of phosphorus) to have an effect on aquatic life in lakes and streams.”
Phosphorus doesn’t pose the same risk to drinking water as nitrates, but it can lead to algae blooms that take local lakes’ oxygen and hurt aquatic life. Toxic algae has become a perennial plague for Iowa waterways and in states downstream in the late summer.
“It’s a big step toward meeting our goals in the nutrient-reduction strategy,” said Adam Schneider, water quality coordinator with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “A (phosphorus) load reduction will likely help locally, in the vicinity of the facility, and ultimately with the downstream load into the Mississippi and into the Gulf of Mexico.”
The new equipment will convert the chemical into fertilizer pellets to be packaged and sold to farmers.
Utility officials say the equipment will pay for itself over the next decade through the sale of fertilizer pellets and by reducing phosphorus’ wear and tear on machinery.
Last month, the utility’s board of directors approved a request for proposals for contractors. Construction is set to begin 2017 with operation starting in 2018.
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Information from: The Des Moines Register, https://www.desmoinesregister.com
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