Wastewater Plant

The mission of the Granite Falls Water Resources Department is to promote and protect the environment, preserve natural resources, and ensure the health and safety of our customers.

The Town of Granite Falls Wastewater Treatment Facility receives wastewater through the Town's wastewater collection system and converts the wastewater in order to safely return the treated water to the surface waters. The Wastewater Treatment Facility is located at 60 Meandering Way and serves over 1,800 residential and commercial customers.

The Wastewater Treatment Facility was originally constructed in 1969 as a 450,000 gallons per day contact stabilization facility. In 1986, the facility underwent a major renovation and upgrade, with the original plant becoming part of a 900,000 gallons per day oxidation ditch system. In 2016, the Town invested over $1.8 million dollars to renovate and upgrade the facility. This upgrade included state of the art equipment and an expansion of the activated sludge storage capacity. The Grade III facility currently operates at approximately 40% of its permitted capacity which allows for future economic development in the Town.

The Town of Granite Falls Wastewater Treatment Facility implements a secondary biological process utilizing Activated Sludge Treatment. Treatment processes at the Wastewater Treatment Facility consist of grit removal, screening, aerated oxidation ditches, secondary clarifiers, chlorination, dechlorination, and aerobic digesting of waste solids which are lime stabilized for vector and pathogen reduction. These processes convert the waste solids to environmentally friendly products that can be safely land applied as class B biosolids.

The Wastewater Treatment Facility operates a State Certified Laboratory which is inspected and certified on an annual basis. The laboratory currently tests for the following: pH, Total Residual Chlorine, Conductivity, and Dissolved Oxygen.

Facility: Granite Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant

Responsible Entity: Town of Granite Falls
Phone Number: 828.396.7111
Person in Charge: Tamara Coulter
Email: tamara.coulter@granitefallsnc.gov
Permits: NPDES Number NC0021890

TOWN OF GRANITE FALLS IMPLEMENTS STAGE 2 MANDATORY WATER REDUCTIONS TO PROTECT LOCAL WATER SUPPLY

GRANITE FALLS, NORTH CAROLINA – Due to continued dry conditions across the region and declining water supply indicators, the Town of Granite Falls has implemented Stage 2: Mandatory Water Reductions under its Water Shortage Response Plan.

This action follows regional drought conditions identified within the Catawba-Wateree River Basin, where Stage 2 drought conditions require immediate conservation efforts to protect shared water resources and preserve drinking water availability.

Stage 2 conditions indicate that water supply levels are significantly below seasonal norms and that prolonged shortages are possible without immediate reductions in water use.

Town officials are urging all residents, businesses, and institutions to take immediate action to reduce nonessential water use.

Under Stage 2, the following restrictions are required for all Granite Falls water customers:

· No lawn watering or irrigation is permitted

· Watering of shrubs, trees, and flowers is limited to:

o 7:00–9:00 a.m. and 7:00–9:00 p.m.

o Hand-held hoses with automatic shutoff nozzles only

· Washing of driveways, sidewalks, and exterior surfaces is prohibited, except when necessary and approved

· Restaurants may only serve water upon customer request

· Filling of swimming pools is restricted to Wednesdays and Saturdays and requires a permit

· All customers must eliminate unnecessary water use, including commercial and industrial operations

These restrictions build upon previously encouraged conservation measures, which are now mandatory and enforceable.