Wastewater Treatment Process

Wastewater is collected from homes and industries in the City of Fayetteville and several surrounding communities.  It is transported by a series of pipes and when needed pumped by lift stations to either the Paul R. Noland Waste Water Treatment Plant or the West Side Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Both waste water treatment plants have similar methods of treating wastewater.  The wastewater treatment process includes the following steps: fine screening, grit removal, biological treatment, clarification, sand filtration, UV disinfection, and post aeration.  The time between wastewater entering the plant and when it is ready to be discharged to the river is approximately 12-20 hours. 

The quality of wastewater treatment is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). These permits are issued by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). The permit limits ammonia, phosphorus, fecal coliform bacteria, carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, total suspended solids, and pH in the treated wastewater.