Microorganism Survival in Frozen Wastewater

Silver Star Mountain Resort produces most of its sewage in the ski season, when temperatures are low. If you cross country ski past the sewage lagoons in winter, you'll notice that there is normally a layer of ice on the three aeration lagoons and a very thick layer of ice and snow on the exfiltration lagoon. Due to the low temperature of the effluent in the winter months, the microbial action necessary to effectively process the sewage is less than optimal.

Since raw sewage typically contains a wide variety of bacteria, viruses, and parasites, it is helpful to understand how these pathogens might impact human health if they survive the sewage treatment process and enter the domestic water supply.

Since the Silver Star sewage lagoons are at the headwaters of Coldstream Creek, and Vance Creek, which are community watersheds, the potential risk to public health from waterborne diseases may be significant. Sewage effluent exfiltrates to groundwater from the 4th lagoon at Silver Star, with much of the effluent reporting to the Coldstream Creek and Vance Creek drainages. In the summer, effluent from the exfiltration lagoon is sprayed on the Phase 1 and 2 effluent irrigation areas, and plans are to irrigate the clearcut fairways of the resort's proposed golf course starting in 2009. The sewage utility's permit also allows snow to be made from wastewater.

To download the U.S. Army Corp. or Engineers report on Long-Term Survival of Enteric Organisms in Frozen Wastewater, click the link below: