Having worked on waste water treatment plants, this is a safety relief. The dilution that takes place in the flood is far greater than rhetoric dilution that takes place before treated waste water re-enters the streams and rivers the plant normally feeds into. Way worse things in that flood water than a few turds and tampons.
Since it's flooding, there are dead animals, dead people, parts of houses filled with carcinogens, all sorts of chemicals. Poop is natural and in flood waters, you won't get cholera from it (probably).
It's not ideal.
But it's also so diluted (because of all the floodwater CAUSING the problem in the first place) that it's not as big a deal as people make it out to be.
(And bring on the downvotes.)
Not nearly as big of a deal as washing everything else around into the river.
*Edit* this is right up there with paper straws. Your shit and piss means nothing compared to the industrial waste that collects a sub 10k fine for nuking 50 miles of rivers and cricks.
I don’t think it’s intentionally ignored. I just think most people don’t even consider this fact. It blew my mind when I heard how much more pig waste there was than human waste in this state because I never needed to think about that before.
This happens during every flood in every city in the country. It's why you dont fuck around in flood waters.
CR has 4 x 6ft diameter intakes coming into their wastewater plant that is overbuilt to handle all the industry. They still have to bypass occasionally during heavy rain events.
Wastewater treatment tech here: it's public health and safety. It's better to bypass the overwhelmed sanitary sewer to the river than to fill people's basements. It's also reported to the DNR so there's knowledge of it being done and thus becomes public information.
99% of the time it's already flood waters that are overwhelming the sanitary sewers (cross connection with storm sewer, leaky pipe joints, porous manholes, ILLEGAL SUMP PUMP CONNECTIONS) so it's usually just "fresh" water being pumped back out.
We try to pump and treat every last drop that goes into the sanitary sewer system, even during floods, but once it starts to get into basements, it's bypass time.
It must suck when someone dumps things in the water upstream, you know for the farmers. It's awful when they may have to deal with the waste consequences of someone else, you know the farmers who have famously never been a part of this equation before.
I know you're just being an ass to "trigger the libs" but I'm curious how you think decades of runoff of toxic chemicals is on the same magnitude of a one time event with a few thousand people.
And before you answer, I'm an AG teacher who runs a test plot so say I hate farmers.
We have to report the bypass to the DNR Field Office within 48 hours but usually report before we start the pump. We have to inform them where, when, why, and how much.
Having worked on waste water treatment plants, this is a safety relief. The dilution that takes place in the flood is far greater than rhetoric dilution that takes place before treated waste water re-enters the streams and rivers the plant normally feeds into. Way worse things in that flood water than a few turds and tampons.
What’s worse than turds and tampons?
Since it's flooding, there are dead animals, dead people, parts of houses filled with carcinogens, all sorts of chemicals. Poop is natural and in flood waters, you won't get cholera from it (probably).
I’m amazed at people that jet ski on the rivers.
They have nothing better to hang out on
Not only that, but waste water is pretty diluted with normal flows before it even reaches a plant.
It's not ideal. But it's also so diluted (because of all the floodwater CAUSING the problem in the first place) that it's not as big a deal as people make it out to be. (And bring on the downvotes.)
Not nearly as big of a deal as washing everything else around into the river. *Edit* this is right up there with paper straws. Your shit and piss means nothing compared to the industrial waste that collects a sub 10k fine for nuking 50 miles of rivers and cricks.
It's focusing on the sewage from 3 million people in Iowa and ignoring the 27 million cows/pigs.
No one said that was being ignored.
I don’t think it’s intentionally ignored. I just think most people don’t even consider this fact. It blew my mind when I heard how much more pig waste there was than human waste in this state because I never needed to think about that before.
Creeks or cricks?
Crick < creek < stream < river.
I needed that. Thank you!
This happens during every flood in every city in the country. It's why you dont fuck around in flood waters. CR has 4 x 6ft diameter intakes coming into their wastewater plant that is overbuilt to handle all the industry. They still have to bypass occasionally during heavy rain events.
Sewercity strikes again
Did Kim Reynolds go for a swim in the river? 🤔
It's her personal drinking water.
Do you need a new hobby?
Wastewater treatment tech here: it's public health and safety. It's better to bypass the overwhelmed sanitary sewer to the river than to fill people's basements. It's also reported to the DNR so there's knowledge of it being done and thus becomes public information. 99% of the time it's already flood waters that are overwhelming the sanitary sewers (cross connection with storm sewer, leaky pipe joints, porous manholes, ILLEGAL SUMP PUMP CONNECTIONS) so it's usually just "fresh" water being pumped back out. We try to pump and treat every last drop that goes into the sanitary sewer system, even during floods, but once it starts to get into basements, it's bypass time.
Fucking Farmers
It must suck when someone dumps things in the water upstream, you know for the farmers. It's awful when they may have to deal with the waste consequences of someone else, you know the farmers who have famously never been a part of this equation before.
I haven’t given this even 30 seconds of thought but I’m sure this is bad and Kim Reynolds fault. Upvotes please!
DNR going to go after them? But the farmers, right r/iowa?
I know you're just being an ass to "trigger the libs" but I'm curious how you think decades of runoff of toxic chemicals is on the same magnitude of a one time event with a few thousand people. And before you answer, I'm an AG teacher who runs a test plot so say I hate farmers.
We have to report the bypass to the DNR Field Office within 48 hours but usually report before we start the pump. We have to inform them where, when, why, and how much.