Drains man explains his business

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, 20 September 1994, Page 10

Drains man explains his business

By Michele Monaghan What happens after you flush the toilet is probably the furthest thing from your mina, but for Terry Gray your business is his business. Terry spends a lot of ti me at Waiouru' s sewage treatI ment plant...and likes it! "You're always learning" he said. The plant is behind the golf course and its main function is to separate the waste from the water. Raw sewage is 99 per cent water and one per cent "objectionables". Terry said the most surprising things get fished out of the system - bath plugs, false teeth, underwear, toys, pantihose, cloth nappies, money , the listis mind-bog-gling.

"Plastics are the biggest problem," said Terry. "The system is easily clogged by a nappy or panty liner and makes a hell of a mess". He said there are still a few panty liners in the System, which just can't be got at. As filters play a big part in separating the solids from the water, one panty liner or plastic nappy stuck flat o ver a filter can cause big problems. Digested The process is long and complicated - waste sits in a thing called a digester for 90 days, but Terry assures the Bulletin that the dried end result is good for growing roses and tomatoes. "Some people come and get it, but most goes up to the landfill." The plant is nearly 40

years old but Terry says it is going well. Strict standards have to be met and the plant is frequently audited by the Manawata Regional Health Board. Terry also talked about the irony of the plant toilet

being on a septic tank. "Most plants are (the same)". He said the system is mainly gravity fed, and that waste from the plant toilet would have to be pumped up hill to where the raw sewage enters the plant.