The City of Horton, Kansas, has operated its current mechanical waste water treatment facility for 50-years, and, as of recent, the City has performed a complete overhaul of the mechanical plant to update the facilities and to ensure that the plant can meet the regulatory and population growth demands of the future.  In 2007, the current facility is celebrating its 50th year birthday, being made operational in 1957.  The current facility was built in the year of 1957, having all of the modern instruments of its time.  

The Waste Water Treatment Plant ("WWTP"), at the time of construction, had the capacity of nearly 800,000 gallons per day ("GPD"), which included a commonutor-grider for solids not caught by the pre-treatment grit chamber; a primary clarifier for solids settling and removal; a trickling filter for nitrogen conversion and ammonia removal; and two anaerobic digester units ("ADUs") for bio solids handling. The purpose of the grit chamber is to remove inorganic solids such as sand and gravel that might wear or damage the main WWTP equipment. The grit chamber is cleaned out once a day, things like papers, rocks, and sometimes money or other metals are found in the grit chamber.

In the WWTP there is a drying bed. This is to put bio solids to sit in a dry. It well sit in the dry bed until it is dry then it will be scooped up a transported. Another way is the two ADUs to hold bio solids that cannot be treated until it is full. Then they will put it in a waste truck and spread it on a field. The bio solids cannot be used for human use, like corn, beans, and other crops. Its can be used for animals, such as hay and alfalfa.

In 1978, the City of Horton conducted its first update of the WWTP by expanding the clarifier capacity by two clarifiers and a rotating biological contactor ("RBC"), which is used to supplement the trickling filter in converting nitrogen and removing ammonia from the influents to the WWTP. In the bottom clarifiers the WWTP have put fish into the water, what this does is to control the ammonia level. If there is to much ammonia the fish will die and they will have to shutdown the plant until the problem is resolved.  

In 2000, the Horton City Commission voted to build a ultraviolet light center used to convert any living bacteria exiting via WWTP effluent.  This highly technological process has greatly improved the operational effectiveness of the WWTP. The ultaviolet light in the WWTP must be cleaned at least once a day to ensure that all the waste that enters the WWTP will go back into the Delaware River. The WWTP operators are required to send a sample twice a month of the effuent to make sure that it meets requirements

In 2004, the Horton City Commission voted to expend nearly $300,000.00 in bonded spending for the WWTP.  Beginning in late 2005, City Administration and WWTP Plant Operators have worked to implement the findings and recommendations of the 2004 engineering study completed by BG Consultants of Manhattan, Kansas. 

All recommendations of the 2004 engineering study are expected to be completed by the end of fiscal year 2007, nearly $100,000.00 under the budget proposed by the engineering recommendations. 

In the summer of 2006, the trickling filter was remanufactured and installed by locally owned Horton Metal Products (Mark Gaskell).  A new pump and motor was put in the grit chamber and grit chamber buck system was built to replace the old the bar stream system. 

In the summer of 2007, Water Pollution Control staff has put in new valves to replace the old and rusted out valves in the plant. This will make turning off and on the valves earier and safe for the WWTP operators. They all so have a three new pump installed to replace the two old ones. These new pumps are more energy effincent than the olds, because their discharge is a side discharge rather that a center one. They are also small then the old one and put out the same amount of power.

There are three WWTP operators. The Superviser of the plant is Dan Isabell, Mitchell Noll is the Plant Operator, and David Merz, Sr., Maintenance Operator II.  Dan and Mitchell are both required to be Class II operator to run the plant.  David helps keep the plant running smoothly and efficient.  If you have a problem or a queston about anything on WWTP call (785) 486-2430 or   e-mail the City of Horton at cityofhorton@hortonkansas.net.

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