The Amherst Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) is located off of Tonawanda Creek Road in the Town of Amherst. The plant is owned and operated by the Town and treats raw sewage from throughout the Town, the Village of Williamsville and from portions of the Town of Clarence. Raw sewage enters the facility by gravity through an 84-inch trunk sewer to the pumping station. Preliminary Treatment at the Amherst Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) includes influent screening followed by pumping of raw sewage to the grit chambers. From the grit chambers, flow is directed to Equalization Tanks where primary settling occurs. The secondary treatment system at the plant includes a two-stage oxygen activated sludge process to satisfy both carbonaceous oxygen demand and nitrogenous oxygen demand. Tertiary treatment at the Amherst WPCF includes an intermediate pump station followed by sand filters for final polishing. Disinfection is accomplished through the use of sodium hypochlorite and the effluent is dechlorinated before final discharge. Treated effluent is discharged to Tonawanda Creek under conditions of a State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). |
