Lebanon officials say treated effluent will be returned to Eagle Creek, dispute social-media claims

Mayor Matt Gentry and Lebanon utilities officials used a city podcast to dispute social-media claims that the city will discharge "raw sewage" into Eagle Creek and to explain how treated effluent will be managed.

"You could literally drink the water coming out of our wastewater treatment plant," Mayor Matt Gentry said, describing the level of treatment the plant achieves while acknowledging the discharge may be warm. Lebanon Utilities General Manager Ed Baskill described the technical term "effluent" as "clean, regulated water," and water operations manager Ryan Ottinger said releases must meet the most stringent applicable federal or state standard before leaving the plant.

The officials said Lebanon's wastewater plant uses biological treatment, continuous testing and monitoring and a local pretreatment program for industrial users. Ottinger said the system includes checkpoints at lift stations and automated lab testing so the city can isolate or shut off a source if incoming wastewater exceeds permitted limits. "If we see something come in, then we can stop the flow from going to a stream until we can rectify that situation," Ottinger said.

Officials also described anti-degradation permitting and point-of-entry testing for Eagle Creek Reservoir. Ottinger said the plant will use ultraviolet disinfection rather than chlorine and that the city will test both at the plant and at the reservoir entry to ensure the discharge does not harm aquatic life. Baskill noted local sewer-use ordinances and state permitting give the utility enforcement tools, including fines and, in extreme cases, referral for criminal charges when data are falsified.

Officials urged residents to consult the utilities' project materials online and contact the utilities with specific questions. The podcast served as an education effort to correct misstatements circulating on social media and to explain the safeguards the city says are in place.