Wastewater Treatment Plant is a critical part of keeping town utilities functioning efficiently and properly.
The Speedway Wastewater Department is responsible for the collection and treatment of wastewater generated by residential, commercial, and industrial users.
While most of the treatments utilized at the Speedway Wastewater Treatment Plant are silent processes, a few of the treatment options do produce visible outcomes. For example, the plant uses dissolved oxygen in its treatment process and the hydraulics of this process creates a foam. As the treated water is released into Big Eagle Creek, the water churns over concrete structures of the outfall, which creates additional foam. This foam can actually be seen in a small area of Eagle Creek, just south of 10th Street; however, this foam dissipates about 30 feet into the waters. This foam is not toxic nor does it contain any chemicals or soaps.
Work conducted at the Wastewater Treatment Plant is a critical part of keeping town utilities functioning efficiently and properly. Regular testing is conducted internally as well as by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to ensure treatment parameters are in place to prevent possible contamination. Using dissolved oxygen is an approved treatment process, and testing conducted by IDEM confirms the foam is not harmful to Big Eagle Creek waters, the environment, or wildlife.
Officials of the Wastewater Treatment Plant are confident with their internal testing and with routine testing conducted by IDEM. While the dissolved oxygen process that creates visible foam is a safe and compliant treatment process, a separate incident in the fall of 2023 was discovered through routine testing. Results revealed that Big Eagle Creek had excess levels of certain chemicals and metals and a non-compliance letter was issued to the Town of Speedway by IDEM. Speedway Wastewater Treatment Plant management worked closely with IDEM to learn where this contamination was coming from. It was discovered that a local sludge disposal company, made an improper chemical drop that killed waste-eating bacteria and microbes that the plant uses to digest and help reduce sludge before the water is sent into Eagle Creek. It was this outside interference that triggered the non-compliance report. Since that incident, officials with the Wastewater Treatment Plant continue to monitor the situation and the biology of the treatment process is recovering nicely.
“The Town of Speedway has a 30-year contract in place with this sludge disposal company, allowing them to bring into the Speedway Wastewater Treatment Plant various types of pretreated water and disposal,” said Speedway Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent Brad Sloan. “The Town fined the industrial user $3,600 plus other associated costs and put them on notice that the Town reserves the right to cancel the 30-year contract should such violations happen again.” The outside sludge disposal company has since established different protocols of prevention, including monthly metal testing, and the Town of Speedway is looking at additional ordinance language that will hold large industrial users responsible for their actions.
“Our goal is to protect human health and the environment while providing wastewater treatment service as efficiently as possible,” said Sloan, “We take our wastewater treatment process seriously.”
To view the above-mentioned test reports and noncompliance letters, visit Town of Speedway - Wastewater Treatment.