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Serving 62 years at the Bridgewater Correctional Complex in
rural Massachusetts might seem like a long sentence, but not to Leo
DuBois. As manager of the on-site wastewater treatment plant Leo
loves what he does – keeping Bridgewater State Hospital, Old
Colony Correctional Center, Treatment Center for the Sexually
Dangerous, and Mass. Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center, as well as
the surrounding environment, clean and healthy. He’s loved
this job for six decades now.
Dealing with prison wastewater isn’t easy. The flow tends to
be filled with trash. To combat this onslaught of solids, Leo
depends on seven sewage grinders and one wastewater screen to
handle unwanted solids and prevent sewer lines from clogging on the
1,800 acre campus. The systems are designed and built by JWC
Environmental in Costa Mesa, California.
This wastewater screen removes all of the trash
and debris before it can cause a problem in the
treatment plant or escape into the environment.
Photo courtesy JWC
Environmental
“The first time we used a grinder was in 1985,” said Leo.
“Back then the problem was cigarette butts. The pumps would
get choked solid, and it was a mess to clean. Everybody smoked back
then – the inmates, the guards – everybody. The grinder
shredded the cigarettes and there were no more
problems.”
After the first successful installation, Leo convinced the prison
bosses to install more grinders inside the prisons, the State
Hospital and three at the treatment plant. The sewage grinder uses
dozens of intermeshing, razor sharp steel cutter teeth to pull in
and shred objects, such as towels, jumpsuits, trash, shoes and
baggies, that might cause sewer pipes or pumps to clog.
A sewage shredder will finely chop trash flushed down
the toilet in order to prevent backups, breakdowns and spills
within the facility's sewage system.
Photo courtesy JWC
Environmental
Prison managers from across Massachusetts frequently consult with
Leo on how best to operate their wastewater systems. Since 1990 JWC
has installed over 80 grinders in prisons, jails and correctional
facilities throughout the state, and there are nearly 3,000
grinders installed at correctional facilities across the
country.
“Prisons are extremely demanding on pumps,” said Bob Mack
of New England Environmental, a local consulting firm in the Boston
area which assisted Bridgewater with their treatment plant
problems. “The grinders protect pumps and ensure the system
keeps flowing smoothly, and I'm sure that’s something prison
guards appreciate.” Bob and Leo have worked together on prison
wastewater projects since 1993.
Leo started work in 1945 as a correctional officer when the
population of Bridgewater was 2,000 inmates, 100 milking cows and
1,800 pigs. The complex was a working farm, and since the town of
Bridgewater had no treatment plant at the time, the prison had to
operate its own. In 1950, he took over the operation of the
existing treatment facility with a crew of up to twenty-five
inmates. Leo oversaw the construction of the new secondary
treatment facility in 1975 and the expansion in 1986. It was in
1986 that he shed the corrections officer uniform that he’d
worn for forty-one years to officially don the title of Plant
Manager.
The plant currently treats 0.200 million gallons per day (9 l/s)
using multichannel oxidation ditches for primary treatment. Leo
placed a rotating wastewater auger screen at the front of the plant
in order to capture, clean and compact the trash before it has a
chance to disrupt the treatment process.
“The auger works well,” said Leo. “I believe you
have to run a treatment plant the way you feel. This is a living
system, and the microbes have to be healthy and happy so
they’ll do what they’re supposed to do. Every morning I
make sure the plant is in tip-top condition, so I know what is
happening.”
The auger screen combines two important technologies in one compact
system. First, a grinder breaks-up clumps allowing the spray wash
to clean and remove soft organics. Next, the spiral screw lifts the
trash out of the channel and deposits it in the operator-installed
trash bag – cleaned, contained and ready for the landfill. The
system is almost completely automated and requires very little
labor to operate.
The screen is a crucial tool in fighting the rising tide of trash
inside Bridgewater’s sewers, according to Christopher Yacino,
Environmental Analyst for the Division of Resource Management.
Prior to installation of the rotating auger screen the treatment
plant staff had to clear blocked pumps on a daily basis - a
dangerous and dirty job. After installation the staff very rarely
has to clean pumps.
“The inmates don’t like to empty their trash can so they
throw everything into the toilets,” said Christopher. “It
gets worse when there is a shakedown – people start flushing
everything illegal down the drain – we’ll see a flood of
material come in here.”
The treatment plant has a strong performance record and in 2006 Leo
was selected as State Employee of the Year by then Governor Mitt
Romney. He had already received employee of the year from the
Department of Corrections. “I’ve gotten more plaques and
awards than you can believe,” said Leo. “I’ve always
loved what I do.”
Leo DuBois has spent 62 years at Bridgewater and for
much of that time has overseen the on-site treatment
plant.
Photo courtesy JWC
Environmental
At the treatment plant Leo places emphasis on careful maintenance
and providing extensive training for the staff. Even with 62
years of experience, Leo continues to study, read and attend
seminars – looking for new technologies. Right now he’s
eyeing the latest high-tech treatment process – membrane
bioreactors. The microfiltration devices produce incredibly clean
water, allowing it to be reused on the prison grounds for
irrigation and other non-potable uses. It is a trend Leo has
maintained for all of his 62 years at Bridgewater, improving the
treatment plant for the benefit of the community and
environment.
Alec Mackie is a sales liaison for JWC
Environmental, an environmental equipment manufacturer in Costa
Mesa, and received a Master’s degree in Communication from the
University of Southern California.
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