ECOPOD Brings Recovery Center Into State Regulatory Compliance

Sana Lake Recovery Center in Dittmer, Missouri, needed a new wastewater treatment solution after discovering that its existing single-cell lagoon was neither approved nor permitted by the state. The undersized system also created pollution concerns, placing the facility in violation of the Missouri Clean Water Law.

Following an administrative order, the recovery center needed a properly permitted and operational system by November 2022. Taylor Engineering evaluated several options, including connection to a centralized sewer system, surface or subsurface land application, and construction of a package wastewater treatment plant.

The selected solution was a 20,000 GPD ECOPOD Advanced Wastewater Treatment System with Geoflow drip irrigation, designed for average daily flows of 20,000 GPD and peak flows of up to 25,000 GPD. The system includes a grease interceptor for kitchen wastewater, a 10,000-gallon primary tank, a flow equalization tank with a 15,000-gallon working volume, an ECOPOD E200 unit housed in a 20,000-gallon tank, and a dosing tank feeding six drip irrigation zones across several acres.

The larger drip dispersal area also provides room for future expansion if needed. Installation was completed in two phases, meeting the November 2022 operational deadline.

With the new system properly sized and permitted, Sana Lake Recovery Center was brought into compliance with the State of Missouri and Missouri Clean Water Law while gaining a wastewater treatment solution designed to accommodate its operational needs and potential future growth.