Pierre Receives Wastewater Treatment Award
The South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recently announced the City of Pierre wastewater treatment system is the recipient of the 2018 Operation and Maintenance Wastewater Treatment Award. This award is for outstanding operation of the wastewater system and environmental compliance with its state surface water discharge permit during the past year.
Qualifications for the Operation and Maintenance Wastewater Treatment Award are based on a system's compliance with state environmental requirements, the quality of the treated and discharged wastewater, monitoring reports, state inspections, and proper operation and maintenance of the wastewater treatment facility.
“There’s actually a lot of work that goes into managing everything that gets put down a drain in Pierre,” said Brad Palmer, City Utilities Director. “It’s the job of our wastewater treatment facility staff to ensure all that waste material is handled, treated and disposed of safely.”
Each year, Pierre’s wastewater treatment facility receives more than 580 million gallons of wastewater. That product goes through a series of treatment steps before receiving ultraviolet light exposure to remove any remaining pollutants. After the treated water has met all state and federal standards, it is released into Lake Sharpe.