Waste Water? If that's the topic of this page,
how did the images of pristine waters get into these scenes?
Or, as the cliché goes, what's wrong with these pictures?
Actually, nothing's wrong! Pristine
water is the end-result of Salem's Waste Water Program — to
process used and contaminated water and make
it useable again so that it can be returned to the environment
as a useful commodity. As each of the pictures above
depict, that's exactly what the management team does around
the clock, 24/7/365.
The purity of the trickling water
from the cascading outfall re-entering a tributary of Blue
River, as well as the next accompanying photo, demonstrate
the effectiveness
of Salem's
waste water treatment process. The water samples that
are re-entering the stream are regarded as some of Indiana's
purest water. The same holds true for the water being
held in the many retaining ponds such as the one pictured
above. Frequented by migrating waterfowl, herons, fishes
and crustaceans as well as plenty of creatures including
deer, all of these bodies of water receive Nature's
seal-of-approval.
An independent laboratory recently completed a 3-month
Bio-Monitoring analysis which measures effluent quality. No
toxicity was found in Salem's water. That's the seal-of-approval
that really matters. The Discharge
Permit, shown
on another page, represents an agreed upon order under
which Salem has been operating for some time. The
program, which runs through 2005, addresses sewage and
related wet-weather
problems (SSO). Salem's waste water program must
satisfy Federal EPA Standards to monitor industrial flows
to local
waste
water
treatment
facilities. Plant renovations, completed in 1998,
are already in compliance with this program.
Aqua Indiana, a division of Aqua
America (formerly Aqua
Sources), is the independent agency that oversees and monitors
the waste water plant and processes currently in use by
the City. Aqua Indiana's Project Manager overseeing
operations at Salem is Terry
Pennington. John
Smedley is the Wastewater Collections System Superintendent.
[Related
- Revised New Sewer Rates]
For making inquiries or to send us comments,
please use the City's
On-Line Form. |
