Some of the first stages in the New York City sewage treatment is to allow influent to flow through some screens that have bars spaced inches apart. This screening allows large debris to separated and taken to the city’s dump.  After taking this step to protect the sewage pumps, the influent is lifted to the primary treatment section of the plant.

At the primary treatment plant, the water velocity is diminished to allow for the settling of heavier solids while the lighter solids are allowed to float. This process takes on average 6 hours to complete. After doing so, e water surface. Thereafter, the heavier solids are scrapped from the bottom of the tank and pumped through cyclone degritters as primary sludge.  This allows for the separating of grit like materials that are then washed and taken to the landfill.

This process is an improvement over the past couple of years, wherein this matter was carelessly dumped into the environment.