Public Works
Anaerobic Lagoon. A biological process that takes place in a holding lagoon under anaerobic (without oxygen present) conditions that break down high strength wastewater and render it conducive to a conventional aerobic (with oxygen present) biological treatment process. Anaerobic bacteria utilize the oxygen molecules in the waste as their source of oxygen which accelerates the treatment process.
Combustor. A device used to burn off the excess methane gas generated from the anaerobic lagoon.
Fluoride. A naturally occurring mineral found in fresh water and salt water.
Micro Surfacing. A cost effective way to resurface a City street. It works best on streets that are not too heavily damaged. First, the surface is scarified, and then the surface material is ground up and mixed with oil and additional binders and reapplied as a new surface to the street.
Phosphorus Treatment. A process that utilizes a metal salt, in our case Aluminum Sulfate, to precipitate the soluble phosphorous out of the water and into the sludge that is produced by a biological treatment system.
Pump Station. A collection point of sewers of lower elevation whereby the collected wastewater is pumped to a gravity sewer of higher elevation.
Road Repairs. Repairing potholes and or road base as needed. In the winter months, repairs are often temporary with final repairs completed when the weather gets warmer.
Road Surfacing. Installing a new surface such as asphalt to an existing road to create a smoother, safer driving surface.
Scarifying. A process to grind up the very top surface of an asphalt roadway to provide for better adhesion of a newly applied surface.
Snow Emergency. A City ordinance governing the traffic control and restricted parking during snow storms. When a Snow Emergency is declared, all cars parked on a designated Snow Route must be moved (or they will be ticketed).
Storm Sewer. A conveyance system of pipes that carries only runoff water from rain storms.
Water Bill. In Monmouth it’s called a Municipal Services bill that includes charges for water, sewer, solid waste, recycling, and garbage collection.
Water Main Break. A water distribution pipe that cracks, ruptures, or leaks.
Water Meter A device that meters water usage. Water is measured in cubic feet. When the City checks on water usage each month, they are alerted if the usage is overly high (which might mean a leak).
Water Softening A water treatment process whereby mineral ions that cause hardness in water are remove or exchanged. In Monmouth’s case iron, manganese and calcium ions are exchanged for sodium ions; the excess sodium ions are flushed out of the water softener after the exchange process is completed.
Water Testing. Procedures required by the USEPA to ensure our water quality meets all standards set forth in the Clean Water Act.
Water Treatment. Process used to treat the deep well water from the underground aquifer to drinking water quality as set forth by the USEPA. The City has two ion-exchange softening plants that remove minerals, hardness, radium and gross alpha particles. After the softening process, chlorine is added to the water for sanitizing prior to entering the distribution system.
Well. Equipment and devices used to pump ground water from the underground aquifer to the water treatment plant. The City has 5 deep wells that supply the Monmouth with drinking water.
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