Town of Christiansburg

Town of Christiansburg Drinking Water Report Info
When you wash your hands, rinse the dishes, or flush the toilet, you may not think much about the water that goes down the drain. But the Blacksburg-VPI Sanitation Authority is focused on keeping our wastewater treatment process safe and efficient 365 days a year. The authority treats approximately 6 million gallons of wastewater every day, and recently installed a new, more efficient and environmentally-friendly treatment process for solid waste. For almost forty years, the solids generated during the wastewater treatment process were incinerated and the ash was transported to a landfill. Now, these solids are treated by a process called autothermal thermophilic aerobic digestion (ATAD). The resulting product is an Exceptional Quality Class A biosolid that can potentially be used in landscaping and agriculture. “The decision to invest in the ATAD system reinforces the town and Virginia Tech’s commitment to sustainability through implementing state of the art processes which add value both fiscally and environmentally to our community,” said Blacksburg Deputy Town Manager and authority board member Chris Lawrence. Wastewater sent to the treatment plant goes through a process where the water and solids are separated. Once that process is complete, the solid material is fed into ATAD tanks and aerated, which promotes the growth of thermophilic bacteria. The bacteria—or bugs, as sanitation authority staff like to call them— feed on the organic matter. They also produce heat, so the temperatures inside the tanks stays about 140 degrees Fahrenheit. After dewatering, the resulting product looks much like topsoil and is almost odorless. With the installation of this new process, the authority has eliminated its need for incinerator fuel, and reduced air emissions. The biosolids are currently used by the New River Resource Authority landfill to cover trash each day. “The successful implementation of ATAD can be attributed to the strong partnership among the Town of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech, and the BlacksburgV.P.I. Sanitation Authority, as well as a shared pledge for finding innovative and sustainable ways to deliver public services,” said Dr. Sherwood Wilson, Vice President for Operations at Virginia Tech and authority board member..