Wastewater Treatment Plant

Mission Statement
The City of Franklin Wastewater Treatment Plant is dedicated to protect public safety and health, the environment and public water ways, by providing professional, timely and efficient treatment at the plant and in the collection system.

If you take a closer look, it's probably not what you would expect! Our facility is defined as an "Extended Aeration System". It is a system whereby microscopic organisms (we fondly call them bugs) break down all the organic material(food) and ultimately cleans up the water.

The main goal for the treatment is to keep the microbiology system happy and healthy. We do that by supplying air, nutrients and food (organic material) in the right proportions. Our laboratory services make sure that the plant process stays within design parameters by running a series of tests each day.

The Pretreatment Department is responsible for overseeing all the permitted industries and makes sure that nothing will be discharged from their facility that could adversely affect our plant. Control of biosolids is the key to good operation and treatment. We utilize a Two (2) Meter Belt Filter Press for just that purpose. You may be asking yourself just how does this wastewater from all over town make its' way to the plant. Well, it does so by traveling through parts of over 65 miles of pipe (sewer main).

The Collection's Department  is responsible for maintenance of this collection system. Every once in a while, we run into a little problem on one of the sewer mains. That is when we call up our TV Video Inspection System  to help us out. There is really more here than meets the eye.  Come by and see us sometime; we'll be glad to show you around.

We can’t just flush it and forget it! In fact, there is over sixty-five miles of sewer mains underneath city streets that transport the waste to our wastewater treatment plant. All size pipes are used from a thirty-six (36) inch down to a six (6) inch line. Gary Graves is the Field Supervisor over the Wastewater Collections Department and is responsible for all the sewer mains, thirteen (13) lift stations, making new taps on residential as well as commercial customers. This crew is usually the first one to respond when a customer has a problem with their sewer. 

Wastewater Collections

Gary Graves Field Supervisor Date of employment - July, 2002

Randy Moore Equipment Operator Date of employment - July, 2005

Wastewater Treatment

	Eric Stradtner Maintenance/Class I Operator Date of employment - April, 2006		Trent Coffee Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent Date of employment - November, 2015 trent.coffee@franklinky.org
	Clayton House Lab Technician/Class III Operator Date of employment - June, 2007 clayton.house@franklinky.org

BioSolids

The Franklin Wastewater Treatment Plant utilizes a Two (2) Meter Belt Filter Press to dewater the sludge (bio-solids) before sending to the landfill. The bio-solids are a combination of solids produced during the biological reduction of organics and some inorganic material that cannot be broken down.

It is very important that the amount of solids in the treatment portion of the plant remain consistent. Too much or too little solids would be very harmful to our operation. Control of the bio-solids is the key to good treatment.

The contract for disposing of this waste is awarded through the bidding process every two years.

Pre-Treatment

The primary function of the Pretreatment Program is to make sure that any constituents that need pre-treating is done at the industrial sight prior to entering the Franklin Wastewater Treatment Facility. When we know exactly what type of waste stream we are receiving, then we can determine what must be done so that clear water is discharged back into Drake's Creek.

Camera Inspections

Nothing is more exciting than settling back with some popcorn in the ol' easy chair and watching a movie of the inside of a sewer main! Actually, this equipment can be very important. It is very hard to diagnose a problem in an area that you cannot see.  This equipment allows us to drive a small tractor with a camera mounted on top through the main and look around 360 degrees.  We can now see the problem and determine the proper course of action.


Smoke Testing

Common Questions and Answers

1. Is Smoke Harmful?

No, it may make you cough, but it is not harmful to your health (not recommended to continually breathe in for long periods of time) and will not harm your clothing, drapes, or furniture. If you have any concerns because of an adverse breathing condition, please contact us prior to testing.

2. What Do You Do If The Smoke Gets Into Your House/Business?

Contact the crew working in the area. Open windows for ventilation. When you receive notice that smoke testing will take place, you should check to see that all traps under basins, washing facilities, and floor drains have water in them.

3. What Is The Purpose Of Smoke Testing?

To find possible leaks in the sanitary sewer system and roof drain connections.

4. I Will Not Be At Home During The Smoke Testing And Have Pets In The House, What Should I Do?

The smoke is not harmful to pets. It would be a good idea to leave several windows partially open for ventilation should any smoke enter the building. If you have proper connections and all traps have water in them, the likelihood of there being any problems is minimal.

5. If Smoke Does Get Into The House/Business, How Long Does It Take For The Smoke To Dissipate?

This will depend on how much smoke enters the building and how much ventilation you can provide. Opening windows and ventilating normally clears smoke quickly.

 

6. Can Smoke Stop Up The Sewers?

No. The smoke is vaporous.

 

7. What Happens If You Find A Bad Sewer Or Lack Of Traps In A Building?

This Information will be documented and will be given to The City of Franklin to determine what steps are necessary to remedy the problem.

---