Posted on August 4, 2021
HARKER HEIGHTS — The Harker Heights City Council Tuesday gathered for a 9 a.m. tour of the Waste Water Treatment Plant at 430 Pecan Drive, just north of the city’s soccer complex.
Mark Hyde, the director of plant services, led the tour accompanied by Billy Cude, the chief plant operator of the Waste Water Treatment Plant.
Before leading the council through the maze of pipes and large pools, Hyde stood before a map of the property and explained that the operation consists of two plants working together as one. Plant B began operation in the early 1970s and was modified over the years treating 1.5 million gallons per day.
“In 1991, we expanded the plant to treat an additional 1.5 million gallons per day and called it Plant A,” said Hyde.
For the past 12 months, the plant has recorded an average daily flow of 2.02 million gallons per day.
Hyde explained in an email to the Herald that the treatment plant is permitted to treat up to 3 million gallons per day of municipal wastewater.
The daily organic loading received from the city is removed from the water by physical, biological and chemical processes. Prior to discharging into Nolan Creek, the treated wastewater run-off is disinfected with ultraviolet light to kill remaining bacteria.
During the tour, Hyde said, “The City of Harker Heights has an Extended Aeration Activated Sludge Wastewater Plant. The activated sludge process is the most widely used biological wastewater treatment process in the United States.”
Wastewater enters the headworks of the plant from the city’s wastewater collection system. The water passes through a mechanical bar screen where large objects such as trash, boards, rocks, bricks and other large items are removed before the wastewater enters the raw water pump station.
The raw water pump station pumps the wastewater up to the top of the plant where, it gravity flows into the fine screens. The fine screens remove more solids from the wastewater. Then the wastewater gravity flows into an aeration basin.
Hyde said, “This is where the removal of organics from the wastewater takes place and then goes to a final clarifier where the treated wastewater sludge is settled by gravity from the waste. The runoff then goes through two ultra violet light channels where disinfection takes place prior to discharging into Nolan Creek.
“We do educational outreach that emphasizes putting an end to pouring grease down the sink and the disposal of baby wipes down the commode,” Hyde said. “We have to deal with it and repair the damage at the plant.
