Barrington Public Works assistant director outlines wastewater plant preliminary treatment process

Kevin Feske, assistant director of Barrington Public Works, described the preliminary stage of the Village of Barrington's wastewater treatment process in a short presentation at the village treatment facility. He said the steps remove large debris and settle out heavier grit before biological treatment.

Feske said, "Welcome to behind the flow, where we take you behind the scenes of the village's wastewater treatment facility to learn more about how we clean the water you use." He introduced the plant's first phase as "preliminary treatment," where incoming sewage "is full of things like rags, plastic, and other debris."

At the start of the process, Feske said operators run incoming sewage through a bar screen that "catches all large debris, allowing it to be removed and sent to the landfill for disposal." After screening, water flows into a wet well where he said four pumps move it on to the next stage. "From here, the water flows into a grid tank where air is pumped into the water to help lighter materials stay floating, while the heavier grit like sand settles to the bottom," Feske said. He added that once the grit settles, "it's removed and sent away for disposal."

The presentation did not discuss later treatment stages, regulatory requirements, permit details or costs. Feske closed by saying, "Now we're ready to move on to the next stage of cleaning. Stay tuned for the next episode to learn more."