| Q:
Who owns and operates the Wastewater Treatment Facility
and Collection System?
A: The City of Ottawa
owns and operates the Treatment Facility and the community´s
collection system. At present the wastewater
facility has on staff, one certified Class I operator
as Superintendent, and six other employees, five of
which are certified Class III or Class IV operators.
The staff receives continual training to keep current
with new technologies and improved operating procedures.
The City of Ottawa has 23 sewage pump stations located
throughout the community. The Wastewater Treatment Facility
staff is responsible for the operation and maintenance
of these stations, the main treatment plant, and approximately
100 miles of underground sanitary sewer mains.
To
FAQ Index
Q:
How can you be sure the Wastewater Treatment Facility
is doing it´s job?
A: The City of Ottawa´s
Wastewater Treatment Facility is highly regulated by
the United States Environmental Protection Agency and
the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. These
agencies perform random testing of the facilities effluent.
The USEPA, through the IEPA, issues a National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit. Included
in the NPDES
Permit are specific guidelines concerning the testing
of the facility´s effluent. The
City of Ottawa performs lab analysis 4 days per week,
which is more frequent than the NPDES Permit requires.
Our facility averages 87% less suspended
solids and 84% less CBOD
in it´s effluent, than the allowable
maximum limits under the City´s
NPDES Permit.
To
FAQ Index
Q: Sewage
is backing up in my basement, what should I do?
A: Do NOT run anymore
water or flush a toilet. Call the City of Ottawa Wastewater
Treatment Plant at 433-0245 Monday thru Friday 7:00am
to 3:30pm. After hours, and on weekends and holidays
call the Ottawa Police Department at 433-2131 and tell
them you are experiencing a sewer backup, give them
your name, address, and phone number, and they will
contact someone to come out. When our personnel arrive
they will check the City´s sanitary
sewer main for blockages or backups. If there is no
problem with the sewer main, they will advise you of
that, so you can contact a plumber to resolve your problem.
If a problem is discovered in the sewer main they will
begin to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.
They may have to leave to get more equipment and/or
personnel, if that’s the case they will return as quickly
as possible to resolve the problem. They will advise
you after the sewer main problem has been resolved.
To
FAQ Index
Q: How can
I prevent future sewer backups?
A: One way to prevent
sewage from backing up into your residence is through
the installation of a Sewer Back-Flow Preventer on the
sanitary sewer lateral that connects your home´s
sewer pipe to the City´s sanitary
sewer main. Further information is available by calling
the Wastewater Treatment Plant during regular business
hours at 433-0245. Information will also be available
on this website soon.
The two most common causes of sewer
backups are roots, and grease blockages in your home’s
sewer pipe.
You need to be aware of where your
sewer line is located, and avoid planting trees and
shrubs near it. Roots can creep into the sewer pipe
at joints or cracks, and over time cause a blockage.
If roots have caused problems in the past, there is
a good chance that they will cause more problems in
the future also. You can have the trees or shrubs removed
and in time that may help, but be aware that even if
the tree is removed, its roots can continue to grow
for years. Typically the best way to clear a blockage
is to call a professional sewer cleaning service. They
can "cut" the roots from your sewer pipe.
Avoid using the kitchen sink and
garbage disposal for grease and food scraps. Vegetables,
meat scraps, butter, cooking oils, and many other foods
deposit grease and solids that can build up in pipes
over time, and create a blockage in your sewer pipes.
Instead of putting food waste into your garbage disposal,
scrape the food waste from plates and pans into the
garbage. Let melted oils used for cooking, solidify
in a container (empty juice containers or coffee cans
work well) on the counter or in the refrigerator before
placing it in the garbage.
To
FAQ Index
Q: It smells
like "sewer gas" in my basement , what should
I do?
A: The most common
cause of "sewer gas" (hydrogen sulfide) odor
in basements is due to improperly maintained floor drains.
The floor drains in your basement are designed to "trap"
the hydrogen sulfide gases in the sewer and keep them
out of your home. To remedy the problem, locate all
the floor drains in your basement, and pour at least
a quart of water into each one on a weekly basis.
To
FAQ Index
|
