Muscatine UV disinfectant system back online.
MUSCATINE, Iowa (KWQC) – The City of Muscatine Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) has completed repairs to the gate that regulates the flow of treated wastewater into the Ultra Violet (UV) Disinfection System.
Effluent (treated wastewater heading out of the WPCP) is now being processed through the UV system before being sent to the Mississippi River.
Treated wastewater was diverted around the UV-Disinfection system on Monday (July 3) when the gate malfunctioned.
The diversion resulted in a required notification being issued particularly for those downstream of Muscatine.
The system went back online Thursday (July 6).
It is important to note that the water, even before running through the UV system, is at or exceeds acceptable levels for discharge into the Mississippi River and is 98 percent pure.
In fact, Muscatine is one of the few cities in Iowa that completes their treatment process with the UV disinfectant system which attacks the DNA of any remaining bacteria making reproduction impossible.
The notification is required by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources whenever an issue occurs outside of the municipalities permit.
In this case, a notification was required even though the effluent was at or exceeded acceptable levels for discharge.