 |
Utility Administrative Office Hours of Operation: |
The City of Alpena Water/Wastewater Utility has been operated under contract since July 1, 1988. SUEZ, the contracted operator of the system, is responsible for providing all services related to the delivery of water and wastewater services to City residents.
The primary goal of the department is to provide quality service to its customers while complying with all state and federal regulatory requirements. The department strives to provide exceptional service at cost-competitive rates. The following list summarizes the services provided by the department:
- Operation of the water and wastewater treatment plants
- Water distribution system
- Wastewater collection system
- Water meter reading
- Utility billing
Storm sewer reactive and preventive maintenance is also performed.
|
Department Personnel |
||
|
Water Treatment Plant
 |
Mike Collins Phone: (989) 356-0757
|
History
In 1922 construction began on a 3.0 Million Gallons Per Day (MGD) treatment facility. The project included two sedimentation basins, four rapid sand filters, and a 500,000 gallon finished water clear well. In 1935 an additional 500,000 gallon clear well was constructed. There were two major additions to the plant; the first occured in 1953 when the steam pumping plant was upgraded to an electric high service pumping station. The Ninth Street elevated storage tank was also erected at this time. This tower has a capacity of 750,000 gallons. The second plant expansion occured in 1965. Plant capacity increaded from 3.0 MGD to 5.25 MGD, with the addition of three filters, new mixing and flocxculation basin, additional sedimentation basin, new low service pumping building, as well as new chemical feed equipment. In 1972 the City added further elevated storage with the placing of the North Industrial tank. Water service to Alpena Township began with the construction of the Piper Road tank in 1977 and the M-32 tank in 1978. New chemical feed building, storage garage, and housing for the new standby generator took place in 1999. The most recent changes to the system include the US-23 South elevated storage for the Township in 2006 and the sedimentation sludge removal equipment at the plant in 2007. At present, the plant capacity is six million gallons per day. Plans to increase capacity to eight million gallons per day are in the near future.
Water Recycling Plant
 |
Mike Glowinski Phone: (989) 354-1400 |
History
The original plant became operational in 1953 and many of the treatment units remain in use today. The first treatment equipment consisted of a pump station, flow meters, four clarifiers to physically remove solid materials from the waste stream, and two sludge pumps. Two Anaerobic Digesters (Primary and Secondary) were used to biologically reduce the organics in the solids that are removed as part of the treatment process. Sludge drying beds were used to dewater and dry treatment residuals. The final treatment process involved the addition of chlorine gas to kill pathogenic organisms before the treated wastewater was discharged to the Thunder Bay River. The plant removed about 15 to 20% of the pollutants that entered the facility.
In 1972, the plant was upgraded to improve pollutant removal capability. Using grant funds from the USEPA, secondary treatment was added to the facility. A biological treatment process called Activated Sludge was used to enhance removal of dissolved pollutants from the wastewater. This addition improved pollutant removal rates and the plant regularly achieves 90 to 95% pollutant removal efficiency.