Photo By Staff Sgt. Eric W. Jones | Operators Frank Brinkman and Ron Garner out in front of their office at the Fort...... read more read more
The wastewater management plant is important as, or even more so than, having power. The plant is a huge operation in practice while depending on a very small staff to run it.
Operators Frank Brinkman and Ron Garner work for the Directorate of Public Works and are responsible for managing, maintaining and monitoring water quality and cleaning the waste waters of FHL. Everyday thousands of gallons of wastewater enter the plant to be treated and eventually returned back to the earth.
Brinkman explained the wastewater cycle from start to finish. Once the wastewater is flushed from a toilet or the sink drained, it flows down the line to the wastewater plant. At the plant, the wastewater goes through a grinder to break up solids and inorganic materials are removed. The wastewater flow is managed and monitored in the wet well.
Next, the wastewater is pumped to the primary lagoon to go through an anaerobic digestion process. The wastewater eventually enters the secondary lagoon where it undergoes an aerobic digestion process. Both the anaerobic and aerobic digestion are processes where microorganisms break down the waste material. Over time, water in the secondary lagoon either evaporates or, in the summer when conditions permit, is sprayed out on the spray fields behind the Cantonment area.
According to Brinkman, some items that cause issues with the wastewater plant are feminine hygiene products, diapers, plastics, and cooking grease which clog the pipes. “Just because it says it is biodegradable on the box does not mean it is flushable”, said Brinkman.
Brinkman and Garner are also responsible for maintaining and treating the fresh drinking water for FHL. There are currently two water wells with a 1.2 million gallons capacity and a third well to be added. “In peak summer period, FHL can use up to half a million gallons a day”, said Garner.
| Date Taken: | 01.31.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 02.17.2017 14:58 |
| Story ID: | 223988 |
| Location: | FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 37 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Infrastructure, the Key to Mission Success, by SSG Eric W. Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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