Water Pollution Control

About

The Solid Waste Division provides wastewater treatment services at the Water Pollution Control Plant.

The Water Pollution Control (WPC) Plant began its existence in 1959 with the construction of Norfolk's first wastewater treatment facility. At that time the City was generating 1.0 million gallons of wastewater per day. The original plant included only preliminary and primary treatment, and removed 50% of the pollutants. A secondary treatment process was added in 1970 that raised treatment efficiency to 95%. A general plant capacity expansion was completed in 1980. A solids processing complex was added in 1990, and in 1995 a Sequential Batch Reactor (SBR) was added for nitrogen reduction. The SBR removes 95-99 percent of the pollutants, including ammonia.  the plant's total hydraulic daily capacity increased to 7.1 (SBR is 5.74) million gallons per day and the peak capacity to 15.0 million gallons per day with this project.  An ultraviolet disinfection process on the effluent was added in 2003, an influent debris screen was added on influent in 2007 and grit wash system in 2014.  We currently receive 3.5 million gallons of wastewater per day.

The WPC Plant staff of 8.5 employees maintain the plant processes and equipment, manage a solids application program, and conduct an industrial wastewater monitoring program. Our laboratory conducts daily treatment process monitoring tests, and discharge compliance monitoring tests. We also provide testing services to neighboring communities.