Wastewater Treatment Tours for Superior students in 5th grade start this week

The warmer weather is here and we're eagerly awaiting Superior's 5th graders to come tour the Wastewater Treatment Plant.   We are glad that Four Corners, Cathedral, Lake Superior, Great Lakes, Cooper and Bryant Schools will be coming over the next few weeks.  The tours will last 2 hours and include and indoor portion where the students will act out wastewater treatment and participate in interactive quizzes about the treatment process and the importance of knowing what not to flush and that stormwater, in most cases in Superior, does NOT come here for treatment but rather flows out to local streams untreated.  The outdoor portion is walking through the steps just as the water would flow arriving here, getting cleaned, and then released out to the Superior bay.
The City of Superior pays for the buses to transport the students to the plant.  We are thankful for the teachers who make time in their busy class schedules to have the students come here to learn more about this process.
As the almost 300 students come through and see the wastewater treatment process they will also learn how to help educate others about what not to flush which will help in preventing pollution to the bay and Lake Superior.  The sights (we have a nice location right on the bay) and smells (really not too bad!) are part of getting to know this important process that is at work 24 hours a day.  A team of over 40 people work here : a mix of engineers, operators, collections crew, administration, educators, and other specialists. 


Can you put the following steps in order? 

If you have a small group of people from your organization, church, workplaces or even neighbors that would like to take a tour, give us a call 715/394-0392. 

Proper Flushing Fun Reading

Ode to the Toilet
and Proper Flushing   
       Read as if you are telling 
”Twas the Night Before Christmas”

 It’s oh so convenient to have bathrooms galore
   For women, for men, for youth
close to the floor.
They’re in homes, businesses, and in our schools
   Without them we would be feeling sick and blue.

Isn’t it okay  to put anything down drains near to us

   Down sinks, bathtubs, toilets,
and such?
No –we must keep some things out of the city sewer route
   For quite serious problems may   come about.              

Miles of sewer runs ‘neath the ground.
Infrastructure assists the flow to flow ‘round.
Night and day, the treatment process should keep workin’ fine.
   When everyone sends only the right stuff – ev’ry time.

What can cause a stir and dreadful circumstance
   Is when things can’t make it to the treatment plant.
Instead they become stuck; should never’ve been flushed
   The message of "flushable" needs to be hushed.

Dental floss, hair, and
aquarium  gravel
   Down a drain – no! – it really does matter.
It can be expensive – and cause a big mess
   A clog, Yuck! an overflow!–generates much stress!

No rags, no wrappers or grease from cooking
   The process may become halted and require us to go looking.
To remedy the problem will cost more than a dime.
   It’s better to prevent problems and not take up time.

 

Cotton balls, swabs, toys and cigarettes
   Toss in the garbage, not the toilet?  U bet!
Flush this? What about that? Don’t be fooled
   The toilet's not a trashcan,
please remember that rule.

Each day millions of gallons head over to us.
    We clean it and send it to the lake with no fuss.
For treatment to run smoothly and water to be cleaned
    We need everyone to use the drains as should be.

Keep wipes and facial tissue out of the bowl
   Tell your whole family and others you know.
Now you’ve been reminded what's to not go down in the loo.
   Clean water that we depend on depends on you.


The toilet, the sewer, or the        septic tank
   May be in real danger from a little ol' prank.
It’s simple what we all need to do:
   Use drains properly all the year through.

Find disposal info on the
City website
   On what do to with meds, paint, oil, and the like.
We clean wastewater, we’re the other end of the pipe.
   Thanks for helping us keep things working right.

2013 – Wendy @ the Superior Wastewater Treatment Plant