Fall 2023 Hometown Messenger

PUBLIC WORKS

What on Earth is a lift station, anyway?

So, how do lift stations work? Sewage is stored and fed into a pit Once this sewage reaches a certain level, electrical instruments rec ognize the pit is full and activate the pump, which will then pump the sewage out to its next destination Most lift stations are housed underground to prevent health risks in a confined area, since the sewage can release poisonous gases like methane and hydrogen sulfide Shakopee currently has two sanitary lift stations and two more being constructed Each city has a different number of lift stations It’s not unheard of for a town to have 40 or more! DO NOT FLUSH: ■ Disinfecting wipes, Swiffers, disposable diapers, paper towels, feminine products and other bulky products even if they claim to be disposable or flushable ■ Fats, oils or greases ■ Flammable or explosive liquids, solids or gases ■ Garbage, sand, metals, wood, straw or grass, wastepaper, plastics, glass and cat litter ■ Corrosive substances that are either acidic or caustic ■ Any substance that is toxic to the treatment facilities or workers in the facilities ■ Dye wastes or tanning solutions ■ Anything radioactive

A wastewater lift station is a critical piece of infrastructure included as part of your sanitary collection system While most wastewater gen erated by households, businesses and industries is collected and con veyed via gravity through large interceptor pipes, lift stations collect the wastewater at a low point in the collection network and pump it to a higher elevation to the next gravity line or to a treatment facility There are two main elements to a lift station: the wet well and the con trols The wet well is a basin into which the inflow is discharged and where the pump sits The control panel is the brain of the lift station

A new lift station is being constructed to service the west end of Shakopee A trunk watermain system was also constructed to provide domestic water service to this area Lift station construction is expected to be complete by the end of summer

KEEP THE STREETS CLEAN OR IT WILL MAKE THE PONDS GREEN City of Shakopee Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program In an effort to protect our water resources, the city has a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System stormwater permit, administered by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency The Permit requires the city, as the owner of a comprehensive storm sewer system, to develop a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan that strives to reduce the discharge of pollutants from our storm sewer system For more information, please visit the city’s website at www.ShakopeeMN.gov/swppp For questions, comments or to report a violation, call Kirby Templin at 952-233-9372 CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR PET ›› DID YOU KNOW?

›› HOW YOU CAN HELP:

■ Storm sewers are not connected to wastewater treatment plants or septic systems like the drains in your home When pet waste is tossed into a storm drain or left on a sidewalk, street or yard, it is carried through the storm system directly into your local water bodies, without any treatment! ■ Pet waste is a threat to human and environmental health because it contains harmful bacterial and pathogens, some of which can cause serious diseases in humans ■ Pet waste also contains many other nutrient pollutants, which contribute to excessive algae growth in a water body, upsetting the delicate balance of the natural habitat

Being a responsible pet owner means picking up after your pet Bag it and put it in the trash Landfills are designed to safely handle substances such as dog waste and cat litter

PLEASE CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR PET

10 Hometown Messenger