Wastewater Treatment
The Town of Forest City, North Carolina began a comprehensive wastewater treatment program with the construction of the Riverside Drive Water Reclamation Facility in 1959. Operations began in 1960 with improvements in 1983, 1988, 1991 and 1997. Design capacity is 4.95 million gallons per day (MGD),current flow is 1.25 MGD.
View the 2020 System Performance Annual Report
US EPA Basic Information About Mercury
Town of Forest City Mercury Minimization Plan
FOREST CITY WASTEWATER TREATMENT/ WRF
NC0025984 Wastewater Treatment Plant located at 397 Riverside Dr. in
Forest City is a 4.95 MGD plant consisting of the following units:
Influent mechanical step/bar screen and manual bypass screen.
Aerated traveling bridge grit chamber and grease removal.
5 smaller first stage aeration tanks with floating aerators (none in service at this time due to flow decrease)
Second stage aeration basin with floating aerators (4.0 MGD Capacity)
Dual secondary clarifiers (75ft diameter)
Chlorine contact chamber and step aeration.
Chlorine gas feed equipment.
Sulfur Dioxide gas feed equipment for dechlorination.
Large Aerobic Digester with Aquatec submersible aerator (approximately 0.450 MG capacity.)
Small Aerobic Digester with 60hp floating aerator (approximately 0.230 MG capacity.
(2) Waste pumps approximately 500 gpm each direct to digester, and 300 gpm to thickener.
JWC Environmental IFT series rotary screen sludge thickener.
Enviroquip 2.0 meter belt filter press (14% - 17% solids.)
Sludge storage building for Class B cake land application.
Average flow is approximately 1.25 MGD.
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
The citizens of Forest City can be proud of the high standards and excellent environmental record of this facility. The Town is committed to protect the environment and provide this essential service in a cost effective and safe manner.
DESIGN INFORMATION
Design capacity: | 4.95 MGD |
Current flow (discharge): | 1.25 MGD |
Effluent BOD: | 10 mg/L daily average |
Septage receiving station: | 10,000 gal. Capacity |
Biosolids annual production: | 200 dry metric tons |
Biosolids building storage capacity: | Approximately 800 cubic yards |
Biosolids storage time: | Undetermined |
Population served: | 8,500 domestic customers 5 major industries |
Biosolids are distributed by Southern Soil Builders operating under permit No. WQ0037135 | |
RIVERSTONE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT
NC0087084 Wastewater Treatment Plant located at 219 Broad River Blvd. in the Riverstone Industrial Park. The plant is a 0.05 MGD permitted SBR plant consisting of:
Influent mechanical bar screen and manual bypass screen.
Pre-EQ basin with maximum capacity of 0.017 MG.
SBR basin with minimum capacity of 0.043 MG and a maximum capacity of 0.063 MG.
Decant flow rate (average high to low) 313 gpm. Sludge waste rate of 100 gpm.
Post SBR EQ basin maximum volume of 0.0156 MG. Flow control valve feeds chlorine contact chamber at a rate of 0-0.033 MG.
The SBR has a default program for permitted flow rate of 5 cycles/24 hour day:
Mixed-Fill 35 minutes (anoxic condition)
React-Fill 109 minutes (bowers running with floating mixer)
React Phase 35 minutes (influent pumps are locked out)
Settle 45 minutes
Decant 64 minutes
Idle 0-64 minutes (integral with decant)
Sludge Waste 2.26 minutes (integral with decant)
The cycles have programmability built in by PLC. These have been adjusted as needed to accommodate the small flow rate currently received by the plant. Sludge waste is conducted manually as needed and is hauled to the plant headworks of the Forest City WWTP/WRF. The Riverstone WWTP was built in 2003 and began operation in November 2013 with the start up of Hicks Grove Lift Station for American Zinc Products. Influent flow ranges from 0.003 MGD to 0.008 MGD of domestic and permitted industrial flow from industries within the industrial park and adjacent American Zinc Products facility.
Superintendent
Jeff Dotson is the Plant Superintendent. Jeff holds a Grade IV North Carolina Biological Wastewater Certification and has over 30 years wastewater experience.
email: jeffdotson@townofforestcity.com
Chief Wastewater Operator
Sonny Penson holds a Grade IV North Carolina Biological Wastewater Certification and has over 27 years of wastewater experience. Sonny serves as the plant Chief Operator and ORC.
email: sonnypenson@townofforestcity.com
Pretreatment Coordinator
Jacob Hodge holds a Grade IV North Carolina Biological Wastewater Certification and serves as the plant pretreatment coordinator.
email: jacobhodge@townofforestcity.com
Laboratory Analyst
Tommy WIlson holds a Grade IV North Carolina Wastewater Certification and serves as the Laboratory Supervisor.
email: tommywilson@townofforestcity.com
Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) Coordinator/Operator
Tim Atkins holds a Grade IV North Carolina Wastewater Certification and serves as the Fats, Oils, and Grease Coordinator.
email: timatkins@townofforestcity.com
Treatment Plant Operator
Caleb King holds a Grade IV North Carolina Wastewater Certification.
email: calebking@townofforestcity.com
For more information or to schedule a tour contact:
Jeff Dotson, Superintendent
P.O. Box 728
Forest City, NC 28043
Phone: 828.248.5217
email: jeffdotson@townofforestcity.com
fax: 828.247.1626
Sonny Penson, Chief Wastewater Operator
P.O. Box 728
Forest City, NC 28043
Phone: 828.248.5217
email: sonnypenson@townofforestcity.com
fax: 828.247.1626