PCWRA Programs

Programs at the PCWRA Facility

Plum Creek Water Reclamation Authority is not just a plant treating wastewater. PCWRA has many programs in place to help minimize environmental impacts. A few of our programs are outlined below.

Reuse:

As the demand for water grows, Plum Creek Water Reclamation Authority understands the importance of recycling water. At PCWRA the water is treated to meet the high quality standards put in place by the Colorado Department of Health and the federal EPA. After treatment using naturally occurring bacteria the water is filtered and then disinfected with ultra violet light. The water is then delivered to three of the local golf courses where it is used for irrigation and course maintenance. This process allows the community to use a renewable resource for irrigation while conserving precious groundwater for use in your homes.

Reuse1 

Biosolids:

The Biosolids program at Plum Creek Water Reclamation Authority creates a nutrient-rich, organic material which is used to improve production as well as soil conditions in crop and rangeland. This process has been used for over seven decades in the United States. At PCWRA the byproduct of our wastewater treatment is a raw sludge consisting of nutrients and organic matter. The raw sludge is fed to an aerobic digester. Aerobic digestion reduces the volume of organic matter and pathogenic organisms. After the digestion process, the solids are fed into dewatering centrifuge that separates the water from the solids using centrifugal force. The water that is removed during this process is called “centrate”. The centrate is then returned to the head of the plant to be treated along with the incoming wastewater. The dewatered biosolids are loaded into trucks which are then taken to one of many permitted sites. The biosolids are tested to ensure that they meet all the EPA and CDPHE requirements regarding trace elements and pathogens. Our contract hauler, Veris Environmental then applies the biosolids to the permitted fields to ensure the proper agronomic rates set by the EPA and CDPHE. PCWRA has a long-standing contract with Veris Environmental to transport and apply our biosolids to these state permitted sites.

Biosolids 

Stormwater:

The Stormwater program at Plum Creek Water Reclamation Authority

EPA - Stormwater Outreach Materials and Reference Documents Stormwater pollution from point sources and nonpoint sources is a challenging water quality problem. Unlike pollution from industry or sewage treatment facilities, which is caused by a discrete number of sources, stormwater pollution is caused by the daily activities of people everywhere. Rainwater and snowmelt run off streets, lawns, farms, and construction and industrial sites and pick up fertilizers, dirt, pesticides, oil and grease, and many other pollutants on the way to our rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. Stormwater runoff is our most common cause of water pollution. Because stormwater pollution is caused by so many different activities, traditional regulatory controls will only go so far. Education and outreach are key components to any successful stormwater program.

Click HERE to go to the EPA site on Stormwater

Stormwater