This month on “Wonderful Water,” join 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell for a conversation with Wil Lawson, the operations supervisor at OWASA‘s Mason Farm wastewater treatment plant.
Lawson discussed the annual OWASA Wastewater Report Card, which was just released for 2021. Each year, the report informs community members how well the treatment plants are meeting requirements, as they work with roughly 3 billion gallons of wastewater.
Lawson said readers will see, once again, OWASA was 100 percent compliant with state and federal regulatory requirements in the calendar year. He also said it allows customers to better see how their money is spent.
“The report card typically stays the same, but what you’ll see is some of the projects,” he said. “If we undergo any major construction, you’ll see that aspect change. We’re also trying to give the community an in-depth knowledge of what some of the positions at OWASA do here at the wastewater plant. You’ll see some articles about the daily life of an operator or a lab tech or a maintenance mechanic, and we also keep the public informed on when our permits do change.”
As part of the conversation, Lawson also explained some of the science behind wastewater treatment. While the technology processes are complicated, he said the biology at his treatment plant is straightforward before the water is dumped into Morgan Creek.
“Probably 90 percent of what we do here is natural,” he said. “The main purpose of a wastewater plant is to do what nature can’t do in a short period of time. In the older days, you used to discharge directly into a creek and nature would actually filter and make good quality water.
“But as population has grown in surrounding communities,” Lawson added, “we have to take on that process ourselves because nature can’t do it all itself. So, we do it using natural processors — the bacteria we’re using comes directly from the human body. We try to maintain that kind of environment for it to thrive, process and do what it needs to do.”
How can the community help OWASA continue to get a great grade on their annual report card? Lawson said customers should focus on only flushing the Three P’s down drains: pee, poo, and toilet paper.
You can find the 2021 OWASA Wastewater Report Card in English and Spanish on the agency’s website. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter to keep up-to-date with the latest news and announcements from OWASA.
You can listen below to the full conversation below, and visit the Wonderful Water page here for more interviews and stories about the work OWASA does in our community.
Photo via the Town of Chapel Hill.
Chapel Hill and Carrboro residents use roughly 7 million gallons of water a day, and “Wonderful Water” is a monthly conversation sponsored by the Orange Water and Sewer Authority highlighting its work to keep our community growing and water flowing.
Chapel Hill and Carrboro residents use roughly 7 million gallons of water a day, and “Wonderful Water” is a monthly conversation sponsored by the Orange Water and Sewer Authority highlighting its work to keep our community growing and water flowing.
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