Wastewater Treatment Plant Division

This division operates and maintains the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant staff is responsible for receiving, treating and disposing of the treated wastewater. The plant is continuously monitored to ensure it is in compliance of all Federal and State discharge requirements.

Functions of the Wastewater Treatment Plant

  • Provides preliminary, primary, and secondary treatment to domestic, commercial and industrial wastewater for the City of Gainesville.
  • Provides physical, biological, chemical treatment for wastewater to remove pollutants, disinfect, and produce and effluent, which is suitable and safe for reintroduction back into the natural stream environment.

The preliminary treatment is provided by the climber type bar screen to remove large items from the waste stream and a grit removal system.

Primary treatment

Primary treatment facilities include sludge sedimentation in two primary clarifiers and sludge stabilization in two high rates, complete mix anaerobic digesters. The anaerobic digesters meet or exceed the Process to Significantly Reduce Pathogens (PSRP) in wastewater sludge. The sludge is dried on sand filter beds and spread on a Beneficial Land Use site permitted by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission for that purpose.

Secondary Treatment

Secondary treatment is achieved through the use of three high rate trickling filters and an activated sludge process. Final clarification is followed by disinfection with chlorine and de-chlorination with sulphur dioxide. The final effluent is used for the irrigation of the soccer fields in Kenetso Park and is discharged into the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. The Elm Fork is classified as a high aquatic habitat and contact recreation stream, which requires the treated effluent to be free of contaminants and have high levels of dissolved oxygen when discharged.

The Wastewater Treatment Plant is manned 24 hours a day 7 days a week by plant personnel.

For more information about the plant or to schedule a tour for your group please call (940) 668-4543.