County Completed Switchover At New Calls Creek Wastewater Plant

Oconee County has successfully transitioned from its old wastewater treatment facility at Calls Creek on the northeast of Watkinsville to a new one still under construction at the same site.

The switchover from the old treatment facility to the new took place earlier this month, and all of the county's sewage coming into the plant is now being handled by the new facility.

The changeover means that the county is no longer relying on a combination of membrane filters and biological treatment. Instead, the new plant relies entirely on biological treatment.

Erin Carlton, Wastewater Utility supervisor, said the transition has gone smoothly and that the new plant is producing effluent that reliably meets permit standards.

Water Resources Department Director Tim Durham will report to the Board of Commissioners tomorrow Tuesday night on an issue that has affected operation of the Calls Creek plant in the past–infiltration and inflow into county sewer lines.

Durham’s presentation is scheduled for early in the Commission meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. at the Courthouse in Watkinsville.

For more on the story, with a short video of operation of a part of the new plant, go to Oconee County Observations.

Pictured: Carlton at new aeration basin.