The Deer Island Sewage Treatment Plant - Boston, MA
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NorStar
N 42° 20.893 W 070° 57.530
19T E 338658 N 4690298
The Deer Island Sewage Treatment Plant, the capstone of a project to clean up Boston Harbor and improve the waterworks infrastructure and run by the MWRA, handles sewage from 43 communities that are part of the Greater Boston Metropolitan area.
Waymark Code: WMF6EQ
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 08/30/2012
Views: 4
In Boston, on a peninsula that helps divide Boston Harbor from the Atlantic Ocean, is a large facility that is known as the Deer Island Sewage Treatment Plant.
The facility is prominently placed so that every ship that enters and leaves the harbor has to go by it. You can see the facility from many areas around the harbor. The most distinguishable structures are the oval 'egg carton' structures. Now, wind turbines adorn the area, too. The facility is also accessible by car, via the town of Winthrop. The treatment facility is surrounded by recreational walking paths and greenery. There is a parking lot at the end of Tafts Avenue (consult a map - it's too hard to explain how to get there here). The paths take you 360 degrees around the facility and includes a view of the entire facility from a raised elevation. Along the way are markers that explain various features visible and processes used to treat sewage. The facility is surrounded by fencing and there is a guarded gate. Tours are available, however, you do need to make reservations ahead of time - see the web site for details.
The facility has primary and secondary treatment. There is a more extensive description of the process on the MWRA site - this is only a summary of the process. First, sewage water is pumped to the facility from several sources that cover 43 cities and towns in the Greater Boston Metropolitan Area. The sewage then enters grit chambers to remove the grittiest materials, which is transported to a landfill off the island, and clarifiers to allow the solids to settle out. These solids go through thickeners and are later transported to a pelletizer facility in Quincy to create fertilizer. The 48 clarifiers are 186' x 41' x 24'. Secondary treatment includes more clarifiers, mixers and reactors to further remove sludge. By the time that the water is ready to be released, it goes through a 9.5 mile effluent tunnel that goes well out into the Atlantic Ocean at over 100 feet deep. There are over 50 diffuser pipes to lessen the impact of the water on the environment as it is released. The solids go through digesters, those egg shaped structures, 90 ft in diameter and 130 ft tall.
Previous to this facility, sewage was treated by several small facilities, and were often overwhelmed when heavy rains came in. As a result, Boston Harbor was significantly polluted. In 1984 a court ruling forced the cleanup of Boston Harbor, which resulted in investing in water infrastructure and the sewage treatment facility here, which began operating in 1995. Pipe capacity has been enlarged and the smaller facilities have been closed, and far less untreated sewage enters the harbor in heavy rain situations.
In addition to sewage treatment, the facility also uses various technologies to help power the facility, including three wind turbines, several solar arrays, and plants that burn away some of the waste.
Source:
The Center for Land Use Interpretation (Deer Island Sewage Treatment Plant):
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visit link)
Wikipedia (Deer Island Water Treatment Plant):
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visit link)