City Services
Public Works & Utility Department
Wastewater Treatment Division
Wastewater Staff
Operations
The Plant Operators are on site 24 hours a day and are responsible for the operation of all equipment that makes wastewater treatment possible. They conduct some testing, collect samples and create reports to fulfill the requirements of the discharge permit and to ensure the proper operation/compliance of the treatment plants.
Laboratory
The City of Gastonia wastewater laboratory performs the EPA required National Pollution Discharge Elimination System analyses on the wastewater coming into the plant (Influent) and the treated water coming out of the plant (Effluent). The laboratory also performs analyses on the wastewater at different stages in the treatment process, analyses of the industrial discharges coming into the plants, and stream and ground water samples. All testing is done so that the best and most effective treatment options can be selected and minimum environmental impact can be assured.
Tests performed by the wastewater laboratory includes analyses for: Alkalinity, Aluminum, Ammonia, Antimony, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Cadmium, Chemical Oxygen Demand, Chromium, Conductivity, Copper, Cyanide, Fecal Coliform, Lead, Mercury, Molybdenum, Nickel, Nitrates & Nitrites, Ortho Phosphate, pH, Selenium, Silver, Total Phosphorus, Total Residual Chlorine, Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen, Total Suspended Solids, Total Solids, % Total Solids, Volatile Acids, Volatile Suspended Solids, and Zinc.
The laboratory performs over 117,000 analyses per year and is certified by the North Carolina Department of Environment & Natural Resources, Division of Water Quality. This means the lab must maintain a high level of quality control and produce accurate and reliable data.
Pretreatment
Pretreatment Program HistoryThe City of Gastonia’s Pretreatment Program was approved by the State of North Carolina on October 7, 1983. The purpose of the pretreatment program is to prevent and control the discharge of toxic, harmful or untreatable wastes to the sewer system. The City of Gastonia applies its pretreatment program to commercial and industrial users and currently has 23 Significant Industrial Users, 5 local Non-Significant Users and is in the process of implementing a Fats, Oil & Grease Reduction program involving 324 commercial users. Significant Industrial Users are those who discharge >25,000 gallons per day, have categorical processes, or the POTW Director has determined that the industry can significantly impact the sewer system.
Pretreatment Staff
The City’s Pretreatment consists of 3 Industrial Chemists who routinely inspect, permit and monitor permitted industries and commercial establishments. Two sampling technicians sample the industries according to their permit requirements. Pretreatment staff also monitor sewer trunklines for unusual discharges, conduct special investigations of prohibited discharges and work closely with representatives of area businesses to eliminate potential problem discharges to the sewer system.
Associations and Accreditations
Pretreatment Staff are members of the North Carolina Pretreatment Consortium. This organization represents pretreatment staff from municipalities throughout the State and was organized in early 1997 to network and share information/ideas related to pretreatment. Currently this Consortium represents nearly half of North Carolina’s approximately 130 Pretreatment Programs. For more information see www.ncpretreatment.org.
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