Wastewater Collection and Treatment
The City of Elma is served by a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant, which began operation in the Fall of 2002. The treatment plant is designed to serve a population of 5,000 and has been designed so that it can easily be expanded. The new treatment facility not only provides for greater capacity than did the City's previous facility, but it also discharges a much higher quality of effluent to the Chehalis River and utilizes ultraviolet lights to disinfect the final effluent, eliminating the need for the use and storage of dangerous chlorine gas.
Andrew Baskett and Jason Carman, the City's treatment plant operators, and Public Works Director, Rick Eaton, take great pride in ensuring the high quality of the effluent discharged to the river and in the appearance and operation of the City's treatment facility.
Water Service
The City of Elma is fortunate to be located over a large aquifer that provides an abundant supply of good quality drinking water. The City’s water distribution system is supplied by two primary wells which pump into three different water tanks that provide storage for periods of higher consumption and also enhance the delivery pressure to various areas of the distribution system.