During secondary filtration, air bubbles are blown up through the water to help bacteria turn toxic ammonia into nitrates.
During secondary filtration, air bubbles are blown up through the water to help bacteria turn toxic ammonia into nitrates. Credit: By Darrow Montgomery

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Pondering the unlikely beauty of D.C.’s wastewater treatment plant.

Credit: By Darrow Montgomery
Credit: By Darrow Montgomery
Pity the poor rube who falls into the nitrification tanks! Credit: By Darrow Montgomery
Put the biosolids on Solids Road. Credit: By Darrow Montgomery
Bacteria hard at work making nitrogen out of nitrates. Credit: By Darrow Montgomery
Credit: By Darrow Montgomery
Credit: By Darrow Montgomery
Credit: By Darrow Montgomery
Credit: By Darrow Montgomery
Aeration pumps run on more than 4,000 volts and 2,000 horsepower each. Credit: By Darrow Montgomery
Credit: By Darrow Montgomery
Credit: By Darrow Montgomery
Credit: By Darrow Montgomery
Credit: By Darrow Montgomery
Credit: By Darrow Montgomery
Credit: By Darrow Montgomery
Credit: By Darrow Montgomery