Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester presented a national award to the Delhi Charter Township Wastewater Treatment Plant at the Township's board meeting in honor of the treatment plant's efforts to protect Michigan's environment. Each year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognizes achievements in outstanding performance and innovation that yield environmental improvements by awarding select facilities with the PISCES award.

"It is an honor for one of Michigan's wastewater treatment facilities to be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for innovative and effective protection of the environment," said Director Chester. "We are pleased to work collaboratively with the township and facility staff to find new and better ways to keep our environment and our families safe."

The Delhi Township Wastewater Treatment Plant serves more than 23,000 people in the township, two small portions of the city of Lansing, and a foster care facility located in Windsor Township. The plant discharges final treated effluent to the Grand River, while residuals, or "leftovers", of the wastewater treatment process are treated and stabilized so that they can be safely returned to the environment as nutrient-rich biosolids commonly used as a soil supplement.

In October 2007, construction began on an innovative first-of-a-kind digester project that incorporates heat recovery and electrical power generation while producing the highest quality biosolids. The heat and energy component of the system will reduce the demand for natural gas and electricity, yielding an annual cost savings of more than $75,000. The new digesters should go online by this summer.

Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"

Revised April 8, 2009 by Pat Watson