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Utilities

The Cedar Rapids Water Control Pollution Facilities (CRWPCF) is one of the few advanced wastewater treatment facilities in the State of Iowa. Most treatment facilities provide two levels of treatment, but treatment operations at CRWPCF typically provide three treatment levels plus final disinfection and dechlorination.

Award-Winning Facility
The Cedar Rapids Water Pollution Control Facility has been selected to receive a Gold Peak Performance Award. The Peak Performance Awards program presented by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) recognizes public wastewater treatment facilities for their outstanding compliance records in the 2012 calendar year.

The Gold Peak Performance Award recognizes the Cedar Rapids Water Pollution Control Facility’s ability to meet all 3,500 compliance requirements or discharge limits in their National Pollutant (NPDES) Permit in 2012. Cedar Rapids Water Pollution Control’s NPDES permit includes daily, monthly, yearly, and seasonal compliance requirements or discharge limits. Some examples of these requirements or limits include:

The facility’s effluent, or discharge, must meet permit limits on the amount of CBOD, TSS, ammonia, and other parameters entering the river on a daily, monthly, or seasonal basis depending on NPDES permit requirements
The facility monitors for the presence of specific metals in the effluent every week including cadmium, copper, lead and zinc
The facility also samples the incoming flow, or influent, every day to monitor and assess the removal efficiency of plant processes

“We are extremely proud of this achievement. This past year has provided staff with a number of challenges including a multitude of flood recovery construction projects, the flood mitigation construction projects as well as significant routine maintenance projects. Each of these projects disrupt our normal operating procedures and make meeting our requirements more difficult, but our staff met every challenge they faced which was truly a gold medal effort,” said Steve Hershner, then Cedar Rapids Utilities Director.

“The Cedar Rapids Water Pollution Control Facility is an outstanding example of environmental efforts. NACWA is honored to showcase the achievements of the Cedar Rapids Water Pollution Control Facility and our nation’s public wastewater utilities through the Peak Performance Awards Program.” Ken Kirk, NACWA’s Executive Director.

This is the third Gold Peak Performance Award the Cedar Rapids Water Pollution Control Facility has earned. The Facility also received a Gold Peak Performance Award in 2011 and 2007 for 100% permit compliance. The Cedar Rapids Water Pollution Control Facility has also received two Silver Peak Performance Awards in 2006 and 2009 for having no more than 5 NPDES permit violations in the calendar year.

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