(1/24) The Emmitsburg wastewater treatment facility exceeded its state-approved permit limits for processing sewerage a dozen times in December.
According to Town Manager David Haller, the plant exceeded the permitted amount of wastewater processed on December 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 21, 22, 23, 24, 29, and 30.
On December 6, the facility, which has a permitted treatment capacity of 800,000 gallons per day (GPD), processed 2,483,000 GPD), or more than three times the allowed amount of wastewater.
Haller informed the town Board of Commissioners at their January 22 meeting that, in spite of the excessive amounts of wastewater received and processed, there were no associated sewage spills.
Since being hired as town manager, Haller has been endeavoring to repair and replace sections of the wastewater collection system and the treatment plant, as money becomes available, which had been allowed to degrade for decades.
"Wildwater," which is predominantly stormwater or snow melt water, finds its way into the yet-to-be remediated sections of the system, causing the elevated numbers in the volume being treated.
Hallet said in December the amount of "wildwater" treated amounted to some 64 percent of the total water processed.
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