Wastewater treatment plant recognized by EPA with regional and national awards

Observer Staff

11/12/2003 12:00:00 AM

The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe's Wastewater Treatment Plant has been recognized with a national excellence award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for operation and maintenance-a first in Indian Country.

The facility, located on the Isabella Reservation, was also selected to receive a regional first place award in the small advanced category.

The plant is designed to treat a flow of 580,000 gallons per day (receiving an average of 430,000 gallons per day), while serving a population of up to 6,500. This area includes 600 people in Tribal housing, a 580-room resort and 390,000-square-foot casino.

EPA officials were on hand Oct. 29 to present the Tribe with the regional and national awards. The ceremony included representation from the Ogitchedaw Veterans and Warrior Society and song from High Spirit.

"This is a very special day, not only for this facility, but for the Tribe," stated Chief Maynard Kahgegab Jr. "We hope this plant serves as a model for other Indian Tribes."

The Saginaw Chippewa facility is supervised by Plant Manager Jim Bailey, as well as Utilities Director Stan Sineway Sr. and plant employees David Coyle, Anthony Orange, Joe Kraenzlein and Reynold Shawnoo. The design engineering firm for the latest plant upgrade was Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber of Grand Rapids.

EPA Region 5 Environmental Engineer David H. Stoltenberg said the there are nine categories for the regional award. Other than Michigan, the region includes Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. He added there are 10 regional districts the Isabella Reservation facility competed against.

"Your facility stands alone in winning the award," he said. "This plant promotes operation and maintenance excellence that is critical to the success of environmental improvement."

The regional awards were established by Region 5 staff in 1979, according to Stoltenberg. In 1986 it was modified to include national awards. Since that time, over 190 awards have been given representing 2,000 wastewater treatment professionals.

The only other plant to receive an EPA regional award was on the Grand Portage Reservation in Minnesota, he also said.

The national award was based primarily on the following achievements: an excellent compliance record, with no effluent violations in the past two years; achievement of nearly 99 percent removal of biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, ammonia and phosphorus; the staff are cross-trained in all aspects of treatment plant operation and maintenance; the staff has worked with the casino to resolve a problem of excessive grease reaching the plant and a strong public education program which includes tours and training of local high school students in techniques of wastewater sampling and testing.