Withlacoochee

William "Ricky" Cornelius, Plant Superintendent
3180 Wetherington Lane
Valdosta, Georgia 31603
Phone: 229-333-1857
Fax: 229-241-8285

Treatment Process

Recently commissioned in Spring 2016, the new Withlacoochee WPCP provides the city with a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment for an ADF of 12 MGD, with the capability to treat peak flows of 18 MGD. When high flows require the use of the new six-million-gallon equalization basin, the plant can treat a peak hourly flow of 38 MGD. The new plant uses a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) System to treat wastewater while effectively removing nutrients and reducing phosphorous. The SBR system utilizes the activated sludge process, the most advanced biological treatment method used to treat domestic wastewater. As opposed to the conventional activated sludge process, in which wastewater treatment takes place in various, linearly arranged tanks, the SBR process occurs sequentially in the same tank. The SBR process is extremely flexible and suited to all types of wastewater and plant capacities.

Treatment begins at the plant headworks where mechanical bar screens remove sticks, plastics, and other large solids from incoming raw wastewater (influent.) The wastewater then enters one of the four SBRs to begin the activated sludge process. There, in a carefully controlled environment, the wastewater is mixed with air and live bacteria to oxidize organic material and remove inorganic solids through adsorption. After settling for solids removal, the partially treated wastewater then enters a process known as a tertiary treatment, where it is filtered through a cloth media disk filtration system. Finally, treatment includes disinfection with hypochlorite followed by chemical neutralization (dechlorination) to remove residual chlorine before the treated wastewater (effluent) is dispersed into the Withlacoochee River.

Request a Plant Tour

To request a tour of the Withlacoochee River WPCP, contact the Utilities Department at 229-259-3592 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Groups of up to 100 people at one time and special after-hour visits may be accommodated with advanced notice.