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Show more fluid -- up to 13.5 million gallons gal-lons during peak flow. "BUT EVEN this is getting too close for comfort," said Mr. Hales. "There have been days when the pumps handled 12 to 13 million gallons, gal-lons, and that's getting awfully close to tiie maximum for peak pumping capacity." But it's not only the additional water seeping (or flowing) into the system, it's the extreme danger of what might happen with the continued con-tinued rise of the Great Salt Lake. THE PLANT is at a ground level of 4,208 feet above sea level -- and the waves from Farmington Bay are already lapping at the dikes surrounding sur-rounding the plant and filtering systems. sys-tems. The official recording of the lake level May 1 was 4,208.10 feet, "and this puts us in a very critical situation," noted Mr. Hales. "IF THE LAKE rises much more, we will have to do some extensive ex-tensive diking to protect the plant and treatment facilities. And the peak runoff has not even started." He said that if the water surface rises above 4.209 feet, pumping requirements re-quirements will become extensive until the lake level reaches 4,211 feet. "At that point, water can no longer flow from the plant and must be pumped through an extensive pumping system -- to the lake," Mr. Hales explained. CONSULTING engineers for the plant have suggested that to reduce the size and number of additional pumps needed in an emergency, that peak flows of sewage be allowed to back up into the trickling trick-ling filters during high periods and then pump them empty during periods of low flow. If this system works, one pump with a capacity of 1 ,600 gallons per minute should handle emergency pumping needs until the water level (of the lake) reaches 4,209.5 feet above sea level. AT THAT point, additional pumps will be required to prevent excessive flooding into the trickling trick-ling filters, making them inoperable. inoper-able. When the lake reaches an elevation eleva-tion of 4,211 feet, the effluent line CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 .-.....---i.. . ,.n. JV.t , MJfcM,BJ,aJ By GARY R. BLODGETT Clipper News Editor WEST BOUNTIFUL - The high water table caused by the rise of the Great Salt Lake is literally "knocking the needle off the gauge" at the north plant of the South Davis Sewer Improvement District. GARY HALES, plant superintendent, superin-tendent, said the facility at about 1800 W. 1200 N.. West Bountiful, was constructed in 1962 for an average av-erage daily flow of 5.35 million gallons. gal-lons. Built into the plant were an additional one million gallons for "wet weather flow" - or a total average daily flow of 6.35 million. But with the extremely wet weather the past 60 days, the flow has far surpassed these figures. In fact, the average flow for April was 7.2 million gallons per day and then were some days when the "needle flipped its lid" and went off the gauge. "THERE WERE some days in March and April that the recording was above 9.9 million, so we just marked 10 million in the book," said Mr. Hales. "We're not sure exactly how much did go through the system." These figures, however, indicate what the plant is designed for to properly treat the sewage. The pumps can actually handle much Some MoodLiiig Possible 4.121 feet. there"s not much hope of saving the plant and filtering systems," sys-tems," said Mr. Hales. "By that time, we'd be under water." He emphasized that despite high water level and considerable infil-teration infil-teration of ground water and other fluids into the system there is no immediate concern of backup water wa-ter affecting nearby homes. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 can no longer be used and pumps capable of pumping at least 10 million mil-lion gallons per day must be placed into the system to allow pumping over the dikes and into the lake. Mr. Hales explained. HE SAID the district has applied for a S45.000 grant (State Aid for treatment plants) to help purchase additional pumps if needed. Extensive diking will be needed to save the plant and its facilities if the lake rises one additional foot -to an elevation of 4.209 feet. "IF THE lake level should reach |