Vactor Receiving Station and Waste Processing Program

About the Program

Category: County Resiliency (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

The DuPage County Public Works Department began its Waste Processing Program with the construction of the Vactor Receiving Station at the Woodridge – Greene Valley Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTP) in Woodridge, Illinois. The program provides a cost effective and environmentally conscience method for waste processing while ensuring that liquid runoff is treated through the wastewater treatment plant. The Vactor Station is the first of its kind in the state of Illinois. The facility was designed to allow Vactor (vacuum) trucks to access the storage facility and empty their contents into multiple dewatering containers. The dewatered material can then be transferred to a roll-off dumpster and hauled to a landfill. This new facility eliminates outdoor waste handing activities providing safe, year-round operation for the County. The program utilizes an automated access and documentation system which provides for off-hours operation to all users. During its first year of operation, the facility provided a safe means of waste disposal to seven different entities. Approximately $40,000 was saved by the County due to reduced disposal costs, and an additional $64,000 was generated to the County in third-party billing. Users of the facility reported an approximately 50% savings from their traditional means of disposal.