Bloomington has two wastewater facilities, one at the north end and one at the southern end of the City. They take turns hosting the 2-hour training sessions between Dillman Road (to the south) and Blutcher Poole (to the north). These sessions usually start with a carry-in dinner followed by the training session. This past month we discussed Moving Solids at the Blutcher Poole Treatment Facility that encompassed pumping primary sludge (Blutcher Poole has primaries, Dillman Road doesn’t), adjusting return activated sludge rates, adjusting wasting rates as well as how superanting or decanting can affect the facility. We ended the meeting with a look at working the formula for wasting. It is always an open discussion during these sessions with active dialog. On a side note – at the end of this past session one of the operators gifted us a jar of their home-made teriyaki style marinade and it is some of the best we have ever had (he should be selling it) – just another reason I can’t wait to return to Bloomington AND another reason most of my examples revolve around food.