News | Peachtree City

PTC to irrigate baseball, soccer fields with treated sewage

Thu, 01/17/2008 - 8:25pm
By: John Munford

Peachtree City will soon be able to irrigate all fields at the Hwy. 74 Baseball Soccer Complex with specially-treated sewage water, which is allowed under the current outdoor watering ban.

Local environmentalist Dennis Chase warned the City Council Thursday night that the sewer system will not eliminate most viruses from the treated water. Recreation officials will work with Chase in the hopes of implementing a system that would eliminate virtually all such viruses.

Chase said children playing baseball and soccer will “roll around” on the field and any cuts they have could expose them to the viruses. He said if the water is filtered five or more days through a wetland area, it virtually eliminates all the viruses.

Such water is already being used to irrigate Planterra Ridge’s golf course.

Randy Gaddo, the city’s director of leisure services, said the sports associations were willing to accept that risk because if the fields aren’t irrigated they could develop weeds and other problems that would create a risk for serious injuries.

The concept was unanimously ratified by the City Council.

login to post comments

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
Treated Sewage Water
Denise Conner's picture
Submitted by Denise Conner on Fri, 01/18/2008 - 4:16am.

The bacteria may have been eliminated, but viruses are much more resilient. I'd be hesitant to come in contact with the fields if they were not completely dry and had not had sufficient exposure to sunlight. The sunlight would hopefully kill most of the microbes as the water evaporated, and the microbes would be less likely to be ingested if the ground were dry.


"Exposure to solar radiation is the main way that 'bad bugs' are destroyed in sunlight-exposed environments."


"Fecal contamination at bathing beaches can be hazardous to humans, because feces may contain bacteria, viruses, and protozoa that can be ingested and cause intestinal disease. With no additional input, levels of fecal indicators decline, in water. Several factors have been proposed to explain this decline including inactivation due to UV radiation, and sunlight inactivation. Additionally, fecal bacteria are also less able to obtain nutrients in water unlike those associated with the sediment particles."


"Pathogen survival depends on a number of factors, including soil moisture content (longer survival when moist), soil temperature (longer survival at low temperatures), soil acidity (shorter survival in acid soils), amount of nutrients (longer survival of bacterial pathogen if high), and the activity of microbes that normally live in the soil. Normal soil bacteria are fully adapted to their environment and should easily outcompete bacterial pathogens for available nutrients. Some will also release one or more chemicals (toxins) that may kill the pathogens."


"E. coli 0157:H7 is one of the disease and death causing pathogens that can survive and pass successfully through sewage treatment plants and 'escape' into the natural environment. Secondly, these pathogens are incredibly hardy in the environment and have successfully lived for weeks and months on vegetation, soil surfaces and in water."


login to post comments
Children Playing In Waste Water
All Smiles's picture
Submitted by All Smiles on Thu, 01/17/2008 - 10:32pm.

The last time I golfed, I did not see one child “rolling around” anywhere. Golf is not known to be a ruff and tumble sport. With this said, maybe ‘treated’ sewer water would be acceptable for the golf course. But fields where children play? Those fields are filled with weeds all spring and summer long! This excuse sounds pretty lame to me. Could they not find anyone to offer a better excuse for watering with sewer water? Mr. Gaddo, and the entire city council, did any of you take microbiology in college? The mere mention of this sends chills up my spine. And what floors me most, is Peachtree City, the family friendly town, plans to do this where children play. I say, piss on this idea!!!!!


login to post comments
this just doesn't smell - I mean - sound right...
Main Stream's picture
Submitted by Main Stream on Thu, 01/17/2008 - 10:22pm.

So, let me understand this right. They want to use treated sewage water on the recreation fields our kids play on? And who tests this water, once it is deemed "virus free" to ensure that the bacteria has actually been eliminated?

I'm not sure I trust the judgement of City Council to do ANYTHING correctly at this point, especially when it comes to our kids health.

Does anyone else know more about this?


login to post comments
Say what?
Submitted by TomCat on Thu, 01/17/2008 - 10:17pm.

PTC is willing to risk infection to children from partially treated sewer water to avoid a greater risk from weeds...and other problems? We certainly have our priorities in order. Surely, there's a piece of this story missing...!?!

"The Cat is loose...."

login to post comments
And just think,
Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Thu, 01/17/2008 - 10:22pm.

if it wasn't going to be used on those fields it was going into Line Creek and down to the next municipality to use for.....
-------------------------------------------
Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


login to post comments
Folks Are Going To Have To Get Used To It
Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Thu, 01/17/2008 - 10:27pm.

Treated water is the wave of the future. When it is discharged in our waterways (after being treated and with the exception of the City of Atlanta) the water is cleaner than when it was pulled out of the lake. If it's not then there truly is a serious problem. But, for the most part these standards are usually monitored very closely. With that said I hope some folks are doing their jobs right.

Florida is a huge user of treated water and they even have water lines that run through many cities providing this water for homeowners and businesses to irrigate with.

________
In regards to Democrats, Republicans, gangs, and other scads of coterie Kool-Aide drinkers; Remember this..... Eagles Don't Flock


login to post comments
retreating poop water - expensive?
Main Stream's picture
Submitted by Main Stream on Thu, 01/17/2008 - 10:38pm.

I thought the process of retreating sewer water, many times over, was a fairly expensive process? Are we really set up for this, at our current sewer treatment plant? If so, are taxpayers incurring more cost for this? Which would be okay, I just want to know what I'm paying for.

This still sounds/smells fishy to me.

I'll be calling my friend at the Environmental Protection Agency tomorrow. I guess we'll have to be our own 'watchdog group."


login to post comments
Ahhh.. We've Found Common Ground
Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Thu, 01/17/2008 - 10:49pm.

It is expensive to treat effluent properly. I would expect that we are doing so now. If we aren't then we all need to come unglued over this issue. My thoughts are that if it's cleaner than the waterways we pump it into, then it theoretically should be acceptable for irrigation purposes as stated. I too would want assurances of cleanliness.

Please let us know what you hear from your friend. I've got connections in the wastewater industry myself. I'll start fishing around and see what I can come up with.

I'm sure we'll get more info from these blogs as some folks throw in some of their knowledge on the subject.

In reality every bit of water we use is constantly being recycled over and over and over...

________
In regards to Democrats, Republicans, gangs, and other scads of coterie Kool-Aide drinkers; Remember this..... Eagles Don't Flock


login to post comments
Git, I knew we would find some CG eventually
Main Stream's picture
Submitted by Main Stream on Thu, 01/17/2008 - 11:01pm.

My bud at the EPA talks about this quite a bit, and yes, it is the wave of the future and something we'll need to get used to, eventually.

I'll let you know what I hear. I know Randy is a retired military guy/journalist and he's above board on most things. However, I would defer to the environmentalist, they're talking with about this and hopefully City Council, et al, will be smart and do the proper environmental screening and testing on the water before implementing this program on those fields.

Batter up - Spring is just around the corner too.


login to post comments
Batter Up
Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Thu, 01/17/2008 - 11:03pm.

Pitchers and Catchers report in a month.

Keep us posted on what you hear. Good night.

________
In regards to Democrats, Republicans, gangs, and other scads of coterie Kool-Aide drinkers; Remember this..... Eagles Don't Flock


login to post comments
git - still checking on the sewer
Main Stream's picture
Submitted by Main Stream on Fri, 01/18/2008 - 11:23pm.

My EPA contact was out of pocket all day, managing the clean-up of a Superfund site in Kentucky.

I'll post updates when I know more. I mentioned it to him today, by phone, and he agreed that although this is common in other states, we need to be vigilant and make sure that there is enough oversight by public officials, on the safety of the water.


login to post comments
Here, here ... pitchers and catchers report!
The Crime Dog's picture
Submitted by The Crime Dog on Fri, 01/18/2008 - 12:06am.

Git, did ya see Los Bravos got a Texeira deal for $12M without arbitration this year?

If only he'll dump Boras we just might have a chance to get a bigger deal later this year. Hey, I can dream right?


login to post comments
Lets,
Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Thu, 01/17/2008 - 10:32pm.

belly-up for a drink. Smiling
-------------------------------------------
Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


login to post comments
Chuckle... Let's Don't And Say We Did
Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Thu, 01/17/2008 - 10:37pm.

I'd rather not Cy. I saw a program one time where they were treating the 'stuff'. The plant engineer went up to a spigot and with confidence filled a glass of the treated stuff and drank it. I just can't imagine.... and I truly lack confidence in PTC's ability to treat it my likings.

________
In regards to Democrats, Republicans, gangs, and other scads of coterie Kool-Aide drinkers; Remember this..... Eagles Don't Flock


login to post comments

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.