Like the telephone and the microchip, the local sewer system is one of the miracles of modern life that people don't think about too much. In fact, many citizens know very little about how a sewer works, outside of what they find out from watching Ed Norton on the old Honeymooners TV show.

If residents took the time to learn a little about their sewer system, they would see what an irreplaceable service it provides to the community. The modern sewer operation is a high-tech masterpiece.

That wasn't always the case. When the Oyster Bay Sewer District was founded in the 1920's, it had to rely on the simpler technology available at the time. Back then, sewage that entered the plant was fed into a receptacle called an Imhoff tank. After the solid wastes settled to the bottom, the liquids were chlorinated and discharged into the harbor. the solids were dewatered in greenhouses and then buried on the plant grounds. (On-site burial was discontinued in the late 60's)

The District underwent its first major upgrade in the 1960's, when secondary sewage treatment equipment was installed. As it came into the plant, sewage was now passed through a screen to allow the removal of rags, sand and other material. Primary and secondary settling tanks, a trickling filter that cleansed water through layers of rocks, and a digester that reduce the volume of the sludge were also added to the plant. In addition, the facility's chlorination capability was improved dramatically.

The mid-sixties renovation was a crucial event in the District's history. It laid the necessary foundation for the latest comprehensive upgrade.

That upgrade has further improved the quality of the effluent released into Oyster Bay Harbor. Its main feature was the installation of a rotating biological disc system that puts an extra step in the treatment process.

Through the years, the Oyster Bay Sewer District has availed itself of the most advanced technology that exists for the job. The latest upgrade gives the District an operational capability that wouldn't have been possible just a few short years ago.