🐟 Carp in a settling tank - is it already an aquarium?
Some wastewater treatment plant stories begin with an alarm. Others - with a phone call. This one started with... a splash. An authentic, live splash in the secondary settling tank.
At first we thought it was a stray duck. Then - maybe a rat? But what popped out from under the surface and flapped its fins like a zoo acrobat turned out to be.... carp.
🔍 Where did the carp in the treatment plant come from?
After analyzing the situation (and a brief investigation on cameras), it turned out that a discharge from a nearby fish pond was the culprit. After the downpours, the pond's emergency overflow was opened and some of the water - along with residents - flowed into the storm drain.
Most of the fish did not survive. But some managed. They made it to the system. They made it through the grids. They overcame the sand separators. And somehow, in a way that physics is still trying to understand, landed in a secondary settling tank.
🎣 An aquarium? Not really.
For the next few days we observed their behavior. They swam by the walls. They hid behind the partitions. One of the fish (laboriously named "Zenek") always swam up at the same time, when the operators approached the edge of the settling tank.
- Don't touch it, it's a trial carp," said Krzyś to the apprentice.
Over time, doubts arose. Is it possible to leave the fish in the settling tank? Does it threaten anything technically? And what if someone reports it to the VIO? Or - worse - to the fish protection foundation?
⚠️ And yet... it's a treatment plant
In the end, we decided: the carp stay until they decide to leave on their own (or disappear naturally). To be sure, we did a sediment check - there was no disturbance. Active sludge like gold. Parameters within normal limits.
Some said that the presence of carp had a positive effect on the energy of the entire installation. That when Zenek was swimming - nothing broke down. When he disappeared - two agitators died in a week.
📌 The moral of the story:
- 🐟 Water will find a way - with fish included,
- 🛠️ Always analyze discharges after heavy rainfall,
- 🧠 At the treatment plant, every phenomenon, even absurd, has a cause and... a registration number.
💬 And if you smiled....
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