Wastewater Treatment
The Riverhead Wastewater Treatment Facility is a primary treatment plant that processes wastewater from the City of St. John’s, the City of Mount Pearl and the Town of Paradise. The system serves a population of about 135,000 people and treats approximately 135 million litres of wastewater each day.
Through the treatment process, the facility removes about 30 tonnes of solid waste each day that would otherwise enter St. John’s Harbour.
What Not to Flush
Flushing inappropriate items down the toilet can cause costly repairs and maintenance at the treatment facility. Many products labelled “flushable” do not break down properly and cannot be processed by the wastewater system.
The only items that should be flushed down the toilet are human waste and toilet paper.
Understanding the Process
Wastewater from homes and businesses travels through underground sewer pipes to the treatment facility.
At the plant, large items like garbage and debris are removed first. Sand, gravel, and other heavy materials are then separated from the water.
Next, the wastewater moves through large tanks where solid material settles to the bottom and is removed. The water is then disinfected before being safely released into St. John’s Harbour.
The solids removed during the process are treated separately and prepared for safe disposal. The treatment process also produces methane gas, which is reused to heat buildings at the facility.
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