By Brooke Curley
brooke@gilavalleycentral.net
THATCHER- It’s the time of year again for inmates to carefully set fire and burn the Thatcher wastewater treatment plant.
A billowing cloud of black smoke can be seen across the Gila Valley on Tuesday as the annual wastewater treatment burn began early in the morning. Inmate crews guarded the flames, and city workers carefully watched as the treatment plant burns out excess materials from the reeds. The town of Thatcher utilizes the treatment plant as a reed bed where sewage can be filtered from the water. During other times of the year, the water treatment plant is utilized as a haven for migrating bird species.
Contributed photo/ Courtesy of Dove Schnebly: The smoke rose for miles above the town of Thatcher, and could be seen across the Gila Valley.
