New Facility to treat Petaluma Sewage and Storm Runoff

A new $110 million facility that will use wetlands to treat Petaluma, Calif.’s sewage and storm runoff, also will benefit wildlife as well, officials said.

In a typical sewage plant, wastewater is treated in giant tanks and ponds and discharged to a nearby river, bay or ocean. But the new facility, scheduled for completion in 2009 near the Petaluma River, will run wastewater through a series of settling marshes, where bacteria and algae will remove nutrients, heavy metals and pathogens.

Meanwhile, the sewage will help turn the wetlands into a rich habitat for a variety of local wildlife. The marshes also will provide flood-control benefits by slowing down and dispersing runoff from winter storms.

The idea has been done in small California towns such as Arcata but never in a city the size of Petaluma.

"This takes it up to the next level," said Michael Ban, director of Petaluma's Department of Water Resources and Conservation. "It's about three times the size of Arcata's facility, and shows the technology can be used for larger cities, provided an appropriate site can be found."

Source: City of Petaluma