Flush it and forget it may be standard bathroom operating procedure for most folks but just because it’s down the drain doesn’t mean it’s gone.
The city of Cottonwood opened the doors of its wastewater treatment plant last week to the public to show people how things are processed once they end up in the sewer system.
“Treating wastewater in Cottonwood is a complex biological and chemical process that takes raw sewage and converts it to a reusable commodity,” said Mayor Diane Joens, who was on hand for the first tour.
A handful of people showed up Thursday, April 30, at the Mingus Avenue plant to get a closer look at the wastewater and how it turns into usable water.
While it might not be recommended for drinking, it does have other uses.
It helps grow the grapes at the Southwest Wine Center on the campus of Yavapai College in Clarkdale, for one thing.
It’s also used for landscaping, including the preservation of an old stand of cottonwood trees near the Verde River.
The plant was built in 1988 and expanded in 2000, said Debbie Breitkreutz, Cottonwood wastewater superintendent.
To read the full story, see the Wednesday, May 6, edition of the Cottonwood Journal Extra.
