Davenport Sewage Treatment Plant

Sewage overflows return as flood water, heavy rains infiltrate lines; exceed treatment plant capacity

Flooding and heavy rains early this month once again forced Bettendorf to pump raw sewage into the Mississippi River.

That's because the Davenport Sewage Treatment Plant wasn't able to handle inflows to the facility and closed gates to the main interceptor along the Mississippi riverfront, requiring Bettendorf to pump sewage from its riverfront lines into storm water pipes that flow into the river.

If the city did not use the pumps, sewage could back up into riverfront businesses and homes.

Dumping of sewage into Mississippi River remains common summer occurrence, but system upgrades appear to be reducing frequency, quantities

As Davenport and Bettendorf complete the third year of a court-ordered sewer system improvement program, dumping of raw sewage into the Mississippi River remains an issue during summer months after heavy rains.

However, there are signs the effort to seal leaky sewer lines and fix blockages in riverfront interceptors is reducing the volume of raw and partially treated sewage that is pumped into the river.

Davenport plant discharges 132 million gallons of partially treated sewage into Mississippi River

The amount of partially treated sewage dumped into the Mississippi River by Davenport's Sewage Treatment Plant last month totaled more than 136 million gallons.

The so-called "bypassed" sewage received only primary – not secondary – treatment because flows to the plant on Concord Street were beyond its capacity as storm water runoff infiltrated sewer lines after heavy rains.

As the sewage flows backed up in lines to the treatment plant, Bettendorf pumped more than 29 million gallons of sewage and storm water into the river after the heavy rains in late June and early July.

Latest sewage bypass lasted four days and totaled 18.4 million gallons pumped into Mississippi River

Bettendorf pumped 18.4 million gallons of untreated sewage mixed with storm water into the Mississippi River over a four-day period earlier this month after heavy rain and high water clogged the main interceptor along the riverfront and flows overwhelmed the treatment capacity of the Davenport/Bettendorf sewage treatment plant.

Pumps along the riverfront operated from June 14 through June 18, transferring back-up in the sewer lines into storm water pipes that empty into the river.

Despite interceptor work, high water and heavy rain result in Bettendorf dumping raw sewage into river

Despite $2 million in storm sewer interceptor work, high water and heavy rains are again forcing Bettendorf to dump raw sewage into the Mississippi River.

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