How Chicago Cleans 1.4 Billion Gallons Of Wastewater Every Day | Deep Cleaned | Insider

Summary

The Stickney Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago processes over 600,000 pounds of sludge daily, transforming it into clean water, fertilizer, and energy. Covering 413 acres, it's one of the world's largest wastewater-treatment plants, serving 2.3 million residents. The facility can handle 1.4 billion gallons of wastewater in a day, equivalent to 2,000 Olympic pools. It employs a series of treatments including coarse screening, aeration, and digestion to produce nutrient-rich biosolids used as fertilizer, emphasizing the importance of responsible flushing and environmental protection.

Takeaways

• 🌿 The Stickney Water Reclamation Plant processes over 600,000 pounds of sludge daily, turning it into clean water, fertilizer, and energy.
• 📏 Located near Chicago, Stickney is one of the largest wastewater-treatment plants globally, covering 413 acres and serving 2.3 million residents.
• 🌧️ During rainfall, the plant can handle an astonishing 1.4 billion gallons of wastewater, equivalent to over 2,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
• 🚰 The plant's primary goal is to treat wastewater to produce clean water that meets environmental standards and to transform solids into biosolids for fertilizer.
• 🚫 Joe Cummings, the operations manager, advises against flushing 'flushable wipes' as they do not break down and cause significant issues in the treatment process.
• 🔬 The treatment process at Stickney mimics natural processes, condensing what would take weeks in nature into just a few hours.
• 🌀 Aerated grit tanks are used to separate lighter materials like fats, oils, and grease from heavier solid waste, which is then further processed into nutrient-rich fertilizer.
• 🛑 The plant strictly adheres to quality standards set by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to ensure the treated wastewater is safe for the environment.
• 🌱 Biosolids, the end product of the sludge treatment, improve soil health, reduce nutrient loss, and increase water retention when used as fertilizer.
• 🚂 Over 1,000 wet tons of biosolids cake are produced daily, transported via railcars to a lagoon for additional treatment and drying before being used as fertilizer.
• 🔬 Stickney has an in-house laboratory for monitoring and research, including a greenhouse to test the optimum use of biosolids on various plant species.

Q & A

How much sludge does the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant remove from sewage and wastewater daily?

The Stickney Water Reclamation Plant removes more than 600,000 pounds of sludge from sewage and wastewater every day.

What is the purpose of drying the sludge at the Stickney facility?

Once the sludge is dry, it is used as fertilizer in surrounding farms and fields.

What is the size of the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant in acres?

The Stickney Water Reclamation Plant is 413 acres, making it one of the largest wastewater-treatment plants in the world.

How many residents' sewage does the Stickney plant process?

The Stickney plant processes sewage from roughly 2.3 million nearby residents.

What happens to the sludge at the Stickney plant after it is separated from the liquid?

The sludge is treated further to produce a nutrient-rich material known as biosolids cake, which is used as a fertilizer.

What is the capacity of the Stickney facility during heavy rain?

During heavy rain, the facility can handle 1.4 billion gallons of wastewater in a single day.

What is the first step in the wastewater treatment process at Stickney?

The first step in the wastewater treatment process at Stickney is passing the sewage through a set of coarse screens to filter out larger objects.

Why should flushable wipes not be flushed down the toilet according to the script?

Flushable wipes should not be flushed because they do not break down in the sewer system or inside the plant, causing them to form large blocks that need to be manually removed.

What is the role of oxygen in the secondary treatment tanks at Stickney?

Oxygen in the secondary treatment tanks neutralizes compounds such as ammonia, turning it into less toxic forms of nitrogen, which are less harmful to aquatic life.

How does the Stickney plant ensure the treated wastewater meets environmental standards?

The treated wastewater is tested daily in the plant's lab to ensure it meets specific quality standards set by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

What is the final product of the sludge treatment process at Stickney, and how is it used?

The final product of the sludge treatment process is a biosolids cake, which is used as a fertilizer on farm fields, golf courses, parks, and recreational facilities.

What is the Stickney Plant's greenhouse used for?

The Stickney Plant's greenhouse is used for research, where they test the biosolids as a nutrient-rich fertilizer product mixed with soils in different proportions on various plant species to determine the optimum use.

What is the main purpose of the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant?

The main purpose of the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant is to protect the water environment by treating wastewater and transforming it into clean water, fertilizer, and energy.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 Sewage to Fertilizer: The Stickney Water Reclamation Plant

The Stickney Water Reclamation Plant, located near Chicago, is one of the world's largest wastewater treatment facilities, processing over 600,000 pounds of sludge daily from 2.3 million residents. The plant transforms sewage into clean water, fertilizer, and energy. During heavy rains, it can handle up to 1.4 billion gallons of wastewater, equivalent to 2,000 Olympic-sized pools. The process begins with coarse screens to filter out large objects and continues with the separation of sludge and liquid. The solids are further treated into nutrient-rich 'biosolids cake,' used as fertilizer. Operations Manager Joe Cummings emphasizes the importance of not flushing non-degradable items like wipes, which can cause significant problems in the treatment process.

05:02

🌀 Secondary Treatment and Biosolids Production at Stickney

After passing through primary settling and coarse screens, the wastewater at Stickney undergoes secondary treatment involving aeration tanks with microorganisms that consume pollutants. Oxygen helps neutralize ammonia, reducing its toxicity to aquatic life. The final settling tanks separate remaining solids from the treated wastewater, which is then returned to the river after meeting strict environmental standards. The sludge is processed through centrifugation and anaerobic digestion, producing biogas used for plant energy. The resulting biosolids cake is a nutrient-rich fertilizer, transported by rail for further treatment and use in various landscapes. The plant also operates an in-house laboratory and greenhouse to research the optimal application of biosolids, emphasizing their benefits for soil health and water retention.

10:04

🚰 Protecting the Water Environment: Stickney's Role and Public Awareness

The Stickney Water Reclamation Plant plays a crucial role in protecting the water environment by treating an enormous volume of wastewater daily, significantly more than the average plant in Illinois. Joe stresses the importance of public awareness, advising against flushing anything other than bodily waste and toilet paper. He also highlights the need to keep street drains clear to prevent debris from entering the sewer system. The plant's size and capabilities allow it to conduct extensive in-house monitoring and research, ensuring the treated wastewater and biosolids are safe for the environment and beneficial for agricultural and recreational use.

Keywords

💡Sludge

Sludge refers to the semi-solid waste material that is generated during the wastewater treatment process. In the context of the video, the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant removes sludge from sewage and wastewater, which is then processed and eventually used as fertilizer. The term is central to understanding the transformation of waste into a resource.

💡Wastewater Treatment

Wastewater treatment is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater, primarily from household sewage and industrial effluents, to produce an effluent that can be safely returned to the environment. The video script describes how the Stickney Plant treats over 600,000 pounds of sludge daily, emphasizing the scale and importance of wastewater treatment in protecting water resources.

💡Aerated Grit Tanks

Aerated grit tanks are part of the wastewater treatment process where air is introduced to facilitate the separation of heavier solid waste and lighter materials. The script mentions these tanks as a stage in the treatment process where fats, oils, and grease float to the top, and heavier sludge settles to the bottom, illustrating the multi-step process of treating wastewater.

💡Biosolids

Biosolids are a nutrient-rich organic material resulting from the treatment of domestic sewage. The script explains that the solids from the wastewater treatment process are further treated to produce a material known as biosolids cake, which is used as a fertilizer. This term is key to understanding the resource recovery aspect of the wastewater treatment process.

💡Anaerobic Digestion

Anaerobic digestion is a process in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. In the context of the video, the sludge undergoes anaerobic digestion in digesters, where it is heated and broken down to produce biogas, a renewable energy source, and a nutrient-rich fertilizer.

💡Centrifugation

Centrifugation is a mechanical process that involves spinning a liquid mixture at high speed to separate particles of solids from the liquid. The script describes how the sludge is mixed with a polymer and spun at high speeds in centrifuges to separate the solids from the liquids, which is a crucial step in producing biosolids cake.

💡Flushable Wipes

Flushable wipes are marketed as disposable wipes that can be flushed down toilets. However, the script warns that these wipes do not break down in the sewer system and can cause significant problems in wastewater treatment plants. This term is important for understanding the impact of consumer products on wastewater treatment.

💡Olympic-sized Swimming Pools

The term 'Olympic-sized swimming pools' is used metaphorically in the script to illustrate the vast amount of wastewater the Stickney Plant can handle during heavy rains—equivalent to over 2,000 such pools. This comparison helps viewers grasp the scale of the plant's operation.

💡Nutrient-rich Fertilizer

Nutrient-rich fertilizer refers to a type of fertilizer that contains high levels of nutrients essential for plant growth, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The script explains that the final product of the biosolids treatment process is a nutrient-rich fertilizer that can be used in various settings, emphasizing the beneficial reuse of treated waste.

💡Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The Environmental Protection Agency is a U.S. government agency responsible for protecting human health and the environment. The script mentions that the treated wastewater must meet specific quality standards set by the Illinois EPA, highlighting the regulatory aspect of ensuring environmental safety in wastewater treatment.

💡Sewage

Sewage refers to the waste matter carried away in sewerage systems, comprising of water that has been used for washing and cleaning processes. The script describes how sewage from 2.3 million residents is processed at the Stickney Plant, turning it into clean water, fertilizer, and energy, which is central to the video's theme of waste transformation.

Highlights

The Stickney Water Reclamation Plant processes over 600,000 pounds of sludge daily, turning it into clean water, fertilizer, and energy.

Located on the outskirts of Chicago, Stickney is one of the world's largest wastewater-treatment plants, covering 413 acres.

The plant serves approximately 2.3 million residents, treating all their sewage.

During heavy rains, Stickney can handle up to 1.4 billion gallons of wastewater in a single day, equivalent to over 2,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The Stickney facility can treat 1 million gallons of wastewater per minute at peak operation.

Wastewater undergoes a primary treatment involving coarse screens to filter out larger objects like garbage and plastics.

Flushable wipes, despite being marketed as such, do not break down in the sewer system and cause significant issues at the plant.

The plant uses aerated grit tanks to separate lighter materials like fats, oils, and grease from heavier solid waste or sludge.

The Stickney plant transforms sludge into nutrient-rich biosolids, suitable for use as fertilizer.

The process at Stickney mimics natural organic processes, condensing what would take weeks into just a few hours.

Secondary treatment tanks use microorganisms and oxygen to neutralize harmful compounds such as ammonia.

Treated wastewater must meet strict quality standards set by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency before release.

Stickney operates an in-house laboratory for continuous monitoring and research on water treatment and biosolids.

The plant's anaerobic digesters produce biogas, which is used as part of the plant's energy supply.

Centrifuges at Stickney further separate solids from liquids in the sludge, producing biosolids cake.

Over 1,000 wet tons of biosolids cake are produced daily, transported for additional treatment and drying.

The final product, a fertilizer made from biosolids, is used in farm fields, golf courses, parks, and recreational facilities.

The Stickney Plant emphasizes the importance of not flushing non-biodegradable items and keeping street drains clear.

The plant's size allows for extensive in-house operations, including a greenhouse for testing the use of biosolids on various species.

Transcripts

Narrator: This facility removes

more than 600,000 pounds of sludge from sewage

and wastewater every day.

It's dumped into drying beds after a lengthy process here,

at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant.

Once dry, it'll be used as fertilizer

in surrounding farms and fields.

Stickney is located on the outskirts of Chicago,

and at 413 acres,

it's one of the largest wastewater-treatment plants

in the world.

It processes all of the sewage

from roughly 2.3 million nearby residents.

And everything that arrives here

will eventually be transformed into clean water, fertilizer,

and energy to power the plant.

When it rains, the facility can handle a whopping

1.4 billion gallons of wastewater in a single day.

That's over 2,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools'

worth of wastewater.

So, when we're rocking and rolling, it's 1 million gallons

getting treated each and every minute.

Narrator: Here, everything that flows down a drain

has raw potential when it arrives.

Well, after it goes through the first stop:

the coarse screens.

Narrator: So, how does a facility like this

tap into the potential of sewage?

And what happens to everything that disappears

down Chicago's drains?

You flush the toilet or you take a shower,

you never think of what happens to that water

after it's gone down your drain.

It's just out of sight, out of mind.

Narrator: That's Joe Cummings,

the operations manager at Stickney,

and he's been working here for over 15 years.

Joe: I'm often asked what it's like working

in a wastewater-treatment plant.

Now, I'm not going to sugarcoat it.

You've walked past a manhole, a sewer, an outhouse.

You know what those smells are.

You are going to smell those things, because after all,

it is raw sewage coming in.

Narrator: Once all that sewage arrives at the plant,

there are two main processes at play:

treating the wastewater

so it's safe to be released back into rivers,

and transforming the solids into biosolids

to be used as fertilizer.

Joe: We're separating out the solid material

that will settle to the bottom, a sludge,

and the liquid that goes off back into the river system.

The solids have been treated further to produce

what we call biosolids cake, which is an earthy material.

It's very good for being used as a fertilizer.

Narrator: What's happening at this plant

recreates what happens organically in nature,

condensing what would normally take several weeks

into just a few hours.

The process begins by sending sewage

through a set of coarse screens.

These screens have gaps to filter out larger objects

like garbage and plastics

and one item in particular that Joe and his team see often.

Joe: This is as good a time as any

to discuss flushable wipes.

Just because you can flush them

doesn't mean that you should.

Those wipes do not break down in the sewer system.

They don't break down inside the plant.

So what happens is they come here,

they find any jagged surface,

and they just what we call rag up.

They form into large blocks,

and then ultimately we have to get those removed.

So my advice, my request to everybody,

don't flush flushable wipes.

Narrator: Once trapped, a rake scrapes up all the debris

and transfers it to a conveyor belt.

From here, it moves to a dumpster

that will ultimately be transported to a landfill.

Contrary to what most people might assume,

Joe and the team here don't mind what the job entails.

Narrator: Once the wastewater

passes through the coarse screens,

it's pumped aboveground to the aerated grit tanks.

At this stage of treatment,

the flow of water slows down.

The lighter materials, like fats,

oils, and grease, known as scum,

float to the top of these preliminary tanks,

while the heavier solid waste, or sludge,

settles to the bottom.

Next, a series of rotating slats

skims off the scum floating on the surface

and scrapes up the sludge from the bottom of the tanks.

Joe: That sludge goes on to our digesters,

to our centrifuges.

Ultimately become our nutrient-rich fertilizer

that we call biosolids.

Narrator: We'll come back to this sludge later.

Meanwhile, the remaining wastewater

passes through a primary settling phase

before moving on to the secondary treatment tanks.

Here, air is pumped into a tank

of carefully maintained microorganisms

that consume pollutants

and other harmful substances in the water.

This oxygen gives the bacteria

what they need to perform an important job.

Joe: Oxygen neutralizes the compounds such as ammonia,

turns it into less toxic forms of nitrogen.

Ammonia is toxic to the small fish

and the larger fish that live in our waterways.

So by turning it into nitrate and nitrite,

it's a less toxic form

that the wildlife can tolerate much better.

Narrator: These circular tanks,

known as the final settling tanks,

are the last stop in the process

for treating wastewater at Stickney.

Here, solids and liquids further separate.

The remaining solids are removed

and the treated wastewater is returned to the river.

All of the liquid that you see traveling over that weir,

that's going out to the sanitary

and ship canal as treated effluent.

Narrator: This treated wastewater

needs to meet specific quality standards

set by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

to ensure it does not harm the environment

or pose a risk to the public.

Samples are analyzed every day in its lab

to ensure that treated wastewater is safe to be released.

What we have here are some of the samples

that we collect inside the plant.

Just starting from the beginning,

this is what raw sewage looks like.

You know, it's a mixture of 99.9% clean water

and then all the solids that are in there.

What we have here is mixed liquor.

This is what is captured and treated in the aeration tanks

and then settles out in the final tanks,

the secondary treatment.

So, as you can see here, I shook this up a few minutes ago,

and you're already getting some of the separation

of the solids separating out.

The liquid that comes off the top of it,

that's what goes back into the waterways,

and the solids are sent for further treatment,

and then that water, after it comes out of there, is this.

Looks very nice and clean. It's not drinkable.

The important thing is

we do not produce drinking water here,

but it goes back out into the waterways

much cleaner than it came.

When the flushable wipes go into the system,

they never break down.

These have been in here for roughly four years.

Narrator: While the wastewater

is being treated and released,

the sludge is moving on to a different area

to be treated through centrifugation and digestion.

Inside these centrifuges,

the sludge is mixed with a polymer

and spun at high speeds.

This helps further separate the solids from the liquids.

The digesters break down the organic matter in the sludge

through a process called anaerobic digestion.

Here, solids are heated and broken down by microorganisms

to produce a biogas product.

Think of it as your stomach just digesting,

breaking down the solids.

And as part of that process,

it actually produces methane gas

that is reused in the plant for part of our energy uses.

Narrator: After this, it enters a set of centrifuges again,

resulting in a biosolids cake.

On an average day, this facility will produce

over 1,000 wet tons of biosolids cake.

These are loaded into railcars

to be handled at a separate facility.

Joe: This is where all of the biosolids

that have been produced from our centrifuges

that you saw upstairs

that go onto the conveyor-belt system

all go into our hoppers

and then are deposited into our railcars.

We fill up roughly one railcar

with 70 wet tons of biosolids in one shift.

Over the course of a normal day,

we might fill up enough railcars

for 1,000 to 2,000 wet tons of biosolids.

Narrator: The railcars transport this material

a few miles away on a private railroad,

and the biosolids are dumped into a lagoon

for additional treatment and drying.

The final product is fertilizer

that can be used on farm fields, golf courses, parks,

and recreational facilities.

One thing that's special about the Stickney Plant

is because of the size of it,

we do a lot of things in-house.

We have an entire laboratory right here

that we do the monitoring and the research.

One of the research things that we have

that might surprise people is we have a greenhouse.

We will take our biosolids,

that nutrient-rich fertilizer product,

and we'll mix it with soils,

blend it in different proportions,

test it on many different species,

and that's all to determine

what is the optimum use for that biosolid.

Narrator: When used as fertilizers,

biosolids can have several positive impacts.

They've been shown to improve soil health,

reduce nutrient loss,

and increase the amount of water soil can retain.

Joe: The main thing that the Stickney Water

Reclamation Plant and all of our plants are doing

is to protect the water environment.

Toilets are not trash cans.

Just because something can be flushed down the toilet

does not mean that it should be.

So what you should really concentrate on

is your bodily waste, your toilet paper.

That's what should go down the toilet.

Street drains, you should keep those clear,

because anything, when the rain falls,

it's going to sweep everything into the street drain

and it's all going to come here.

In general, Stickney is considered the biggest

or one of the biggest plants in the world.

In the state of Illinois,

the average plant is probably treating

about 1 million gallons a day,

and we're treating 1,440 times that during high flow.