All wastewater from the city of Winston is discharged directly into The Green Area Water and Sanitary Authority which is located just north of the South Umpqua River on Harmony Drive. The plant acts as a regional shared facility between Green District in Douglas County and the City of Winston. The sanitary sewer system is a gravity system, which uses pump stations to move the wastewater from lower elevation portions of the system to the treatment plant. The treated wastewater goes through a rigorous series of tests to assure water quality is not compromised as it is discharged back to the South Umpqua River. Biosolids (or sludge), a byproduct of the treatment process, are stored and recycled each summer as a soil amendment to agricultural fields. Treating raw sewage at the wastewater plant is an important, complex operation that involves several processes to ensure all contaminants are removed prior to releasing water back into the environment, and all solid materials are suitably stabilized prior to application to agricultural fields for beneficial use.
For a tour of the wastewater treatment plant, call 541-679-6451.
