Streets

The Public Works Department provides wastewater service to approximately 450 residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers. There are three phases to providing wastewater service: collections, treatment, and testing. 

Collections

The first step in the process is collections. Our staff maintains a sewer collections system that includes 7 miles of sewer mains, 106 manholes, and 1 lift station. The system was designed to operate primarily on gravity flow, which is much more cost effective than using force mains or lift stations. These alternatives systems consume large amounts of electricity, require additional maintenance and back-up power.  

Treatment

The collection system conveys wastewater to the activated sludge sewer plant, which is designed to treat up to 230,000 gallons of effluent per day. Effluent passes through an extensive system which uses mechanical and chemical processes to treat the water. This removes solids, contaminants, and produces re-use water that is discharged back into Dexter Lake. 

Testing

Similar to testing drinking water, staff collects daily wastewater samples at the sewer plant and submits them to an independent lab for testing. Annually, over 500 tests are conducted. This ensures the water meets all federal and state standards before being discharged into Dexter Lake.