The Wastewater Treatment Facility is responsible for the collection and treatment of wastewater generated by residential, commercial, and industrial dischargers before final discharge to the Big Sioux River according to the conditions of the City's SDDENR Surface Water Discharge Permit. The Wastewater Department consists of the Collections, Operations, Laboratory, and Industrial Pretreatment subdivisions which operate and maintain the wastewater treatment facility and the sanitary sewer collection system.
Sewer Usage Fees
Residential
The regular residential sewer user charge for each household or living unit shall be $ 21.50 per month.
Commercial
The regular commercial sewer user charge, except for those customers classified as significant industrial users under City ordinance, shall be $ 21.50 per month for up to 700 cubic feet of sewage discharge. Plus, an additional charge of $ 2.40 per 100 cubic feet shall be made on sewage discharge in excess of the first 700 cubic feet per month.
Commercial sewer customers shall be subject to a surcharge in addition to the regular charge based upon the strength of the effluent discharged into the wastewater system to be computed using actual flow monitoring in accordance with the following schedule:
- Any excess over 200 mg/l of B.O.D. shall be charged the rate of $ 0.33 per pound.
- Any excess over 250 mg/l of T.S.S. shall be charged the rate of $ 0.27 per pound.
- Any excess over 20 mg/l of NH3 shall be charged the rate of $ 1.18 per pound.
Industrial
The regular charge for commercial sewer customers that are classified as significant industrial users under City ordinance shall be $66.00 per month for up to 700 cubic feet of sewage discharge. Plus, an additional charge of $ 4.42 per 100 cubic feet shall be made on sewage discharge in excess of the first 700 cubic feet per month.
Industrial sewer customers shall be subject to a surcharge in addition to the regular charge based upon the strength of the effluent discharged into the wastewater system to be computed using actual flow monitoring in accordance with the following schedule:
- Any excess over 200 mg/l of B.O.D. shall be charged the rate of $ 0.33 per pound.
- Any excess over 250 mg/l of T.S.S. shall be charged the rate of $ 0.27per pound.
- Any excess over 20 mg/l of NH3 shall be charged the rate of $ 1.18 per pound.
Liquid Waste Disposal Coupons
The charge for a liquid waste disposal coupon shall be $ 34.00 plus an additional $ 34.00 for each 1,000 gallon increment in excess of the first 1,000 gallons.
The charge for hauled liquid waste from a customer classified as a significant industial user under city ordinance shall be $41.00 per 1,000 gallons with a minimum of $55.00 per month.
Sump Pumps
Sump pumps are prohibited from discharging into the sanitary sewer. However, annually during winter months in freezing conditions (October 15th through April 15th) all homes and businesses with operational sump pumps may make request for a variance that permits the discharge of sump pump water into the sanitary sewer (City of Watertown Ordinance 17.0402 (1) (o)).
Written notices of variance will be granted as necessary. The seasonal variance will be issued for a specific period and must be renewed each year. If you have such a need, please make your request to the Wastewater Treatment Facility at 882 - 6244 in September each year.
INDUSTRIAL PRETREATMENT PROGRAM
Watertown maintains and enforces an Industrial Pretreatment Program that is approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The City regulates local industry to insure the industries are in compliance with the appropriate regulations (Federal, State and Local). The purpose of the program is to prevent the introduction of pollutants into the sanitary sewer system that the wastewater treatment facility cannot treat. The biological processes at the facility are sensitive to a number of industrial pollutants.
Currently the Program has thirteen permitted industrial users. These industries are required to track the amount of wastewater they discharge to the sanitary sewer and sample their discharges. Each of these industries is inspected annually and oversight monitoring is conducted by the Industrial Pretreatment Program Staff annually.
Commercial establishments are also inspected. These establishments are inspected to determine what processes are on-site and what is discharged to the sanitary sewer. Based on the information obtained, it is determined if any Federal, State or local regulations apply.
If you are an industrial or commercial business in Watertown you are encouraged to contact the Industrial Pretreatment Program to determine if any regulations or permitting requirements apply and if you need to apply for a permit. The Industrial Pretreatment Program Staff may be contacted by calling (605) 882-6244. Please be aware that just having certain processes on-site can subject an entity to regulations and/or permitting requirements. Processes do not have to discharge to the sanitary sewer for regulations and/or permitting requirements to apply.
LABORATORY
The Laboratory Staff collect and analyze samples to determine compliance with permit limitations. After the samples are collected, they are returned to the laboratory and "checked in". The pertinent sampling information is documented and the sample is preserved, if necessary, to ensure the quality of the sample is maintained. The data generated to determine compliance with permit limitations is compiled and reported monthly to the South Dakota Department of Natural Resources. The Operations Staff uses the performance data to make operational decisions. The Laboratory analyzes for approximately twenty different pollutants.
OPERATIONS
The operations staff is responsible for operating the wastewater treatment facility and the land application of the biosolids generated by the facility in compliance with the associated permits issued by the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Treatment of the wastewater is accomplished by mechanical and biological means. Grit, gravel and large non-treatable particles are removed via mechanical means. These wastes are hauled to the landfill for disposal. The solids or sludge generated by the wastewater treatment facility are separated from the wastewater and are treated to meet permit limits prior to land application.
The wastewater is treated by biological processes to reduce biochemical oxygen demand, ammonia and various other pollutants.
The final processes before discharge are ultra-violet disinfection and post aeration. Flow measurement and pollutant monitoring occur prior to discharge into the Big Sioux River to document the quantity and quality of the water that is discharged.
Tours of the Wastewater Treatment Facility are available by appointment. Please call (605) 882-6246 if you would like to schedule a tour.
COLLECTIONS
The sewer collections staff perform numerous tasks to keep the sanitary and storm sewer systems working properly. They maintain the sanitary sewer lift stations on a regular basis to reduce pump failures. They also remove debris and roots from the sewer systems using a jet-vacuum truck. The jet-vacuum truck uses a stream of high pressure water to clean debris from sewer lines. The debris is then removed from manholes using the vacuum portion of the truck. The sewer lines are also televised using a closed circuit televising system to determine if maintenance or repairs are necessary.
During flooding conditions, the collections staff operate the storm sewer isolation structures to reduce the potential of storm water backing up into streets.
The collections staff responds to emergency sewer calls and lift station alarms 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They may be reached at (605) 882-6241, Monday thru Friday, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. On weekends, holidays, and between the hours of 5:00 PM and 8:00 AM, please contact the Police Department at (605) 882 - 6210.