El Estero Wastewater Treatment Plant
Wastewater Treatment Process

Cleaning the Way Nature Does, Only Faster

Wastewater is cleaned using physical and biological processes similar to those that occur in nature, but which have been accelerated to produce clean water in just a few hours. (Click the button to see a diagram of the treatment process.) By the end of the treatment process, the water meets ocean swimming standards. After treatment and disinfection, the water enters an outfall pipeline and is discharged through the pipeline to the Pacific Ocean approximately 1.5 miles off East Beach. The last section of the outfall has many portals through which the water exits. The portals create an area of rapid mixing that allows the non-saline water to be quickly assimilated with the saline ocean water.

Operating Control System

The City is keeping up with the information age by adding a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system (SCADA) to its treatment plant. The SCADA system monitors critical treatment plant functions at all times. SCADA alarms alert operators to potential problems, and interactive screens allow operators to get real time information on treatment plant processes, as well as make changes to plant settings from the control room.

History

Treatment Process

Sampling & Testing

Water Recycling

Water Home Page