So, prior to the construction of the New Santa Rita Water Reclamation Facility, the previous plant had a real problem with organic loading. We were seeing high E.coli in the effluent, so much so that it was making it further downstream and becoming a real issue for other users of the Animas River. And since we've done the upgrades on the treatment plant, we're seeing E.coli less than ten MPN and we're seeing extremely low numbers in our total inorganic nitrogen and total phosphorus as well. And we're not hearing as much concern from downstream users of the Animas River. So, when we were laying out this facility, odors were a really big deal. As you can imagine, because we have the world class kayaking park adjacent to us, the Animas River Trail, soccer park, the major highway coming from cities right adjacent to the facility, odors were a major big deal at this facility. We had to minimize it. So we went through and identified the major odor generating areas. And, for all those areas, we tried to put in one or two technologies at each location to make sure we could either contain it, ventilate, and treat that technology at every place. So, the headworks, we're both treating the foul air and we're treating all the air that comes in. Off the primary clarifiers, we collect all that odor generating air and send it through a GAC system to remove all the odorous compounds to make sure they don't migrate outside. The primary clarifiers were a primary odor source for the old facility. Another requirement the city wants is their city is very environmentally friendly and green. We wanted to minimize power requirements, energy requirements, at this facility. So, when we were designing this facility and laying it out, we try to minimize all the power requirements and do everything we could to maintain the best treatment at the lowest power input. So, when we looked at designing the secondary process, we came in and fractionated the influant BOD/COD to make sure we had the right requirements necessary to do all the treatment we needed. So, we have this custom designed Johannesburg Process that gives the operators the flexibility they need to control various different knobs and buttons to help meet their current effluent requirements, while giving them tools to tweak things should they need to change things midday/midweek to help them meet and maintain those limits, we put an energy-efficient, high-speed turbo blowers. We designed a very energy-efficient air diffusion system that operates at the low end of the flux curves to minimize or maximize oxygen transfer and minimizing power. Additionally, we have primary clarifiers where we collect influent raw wastewater or raw sewage, send it to the anaerobic digesters along with our waste product to produce methane. We clean that biogas, scrub it with all the H2S and soloxanes and then use it to produce methane. With that methane, we are able to produce as much power as about 40-ish percent of the total plants power needs right here in this facility, despite the fact that this is only a smaller facility. And additionally, with that power generation, we also collect heat off that process and use it to pre-heat our digesters, therefore cutting back natural gas usage somewhere in the order of roughly 30-ish percent, all in an effort to make this facility as energy efficient as possible and make it as green as possible for the city so it could be a showcase for them. So the end product of our construction was, we met our nutrient standard regulations on day one of receiving our new permit. And that was a very exciting thing because it was kind of the culmination of a lot of effort, a lot of forethought, a lot of planning that, frankly, started before I even got here. And I was able to see that, you know, the day we got that permit from CDPHE, we were actually exceeding those nutrient regulations in our effluent.
Carving around 1,243 miles through lush wetlands, dense forests, and towering cliffs, the Columbia River is a crucial commercial and recreational artery for the Pacific Northwest. So, when the City of Pasco set out on the rare task of installing a new outfall on this significant river to support its growing community, they knew it would require a perfectly tailored approach that includes:
📅 Coordinating permitting and scheduling with many stakeholders. Our team got involved early to model the mixing zones, which assessed how the discharged water impacts the river’s flows, quality, and ecosystem. The study’s results not only informed the design but also the complex permitting process with the Army Corps of Engineers and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Our team collaborated with Environmental Science Associates for permitting, MixZon, Inc. for the mixing study, and William P. Fox from Cosmopolitan Marine Engineering for marine pipe installation advisement.
🐟 Minimizing environmental impact. The permits require all construction to be completed within the in-water work window between August and February, which reduces impacts to wildlife during migration and spawning periods. In the backwaters of the McNary Dam, this section of the Columbia is a protected salmon habitat, so the team used nets to cordon off the site and will restore the ecosystem after construction.
🚧 Delivering a unique assembly and installation process. The construction crew floated sections of the new 42-inch HDPE pipe from the mouth of the Snake River and up the Columbia River until they reached their location at the new outfall alignment. Once all sections were in place, the team completed a controlled submergence process to install the pipeline into an excavated trench on the riverbed—watch the installation process in the video! The diffuser and position of the outfall 1,180 feet into the river provides high mixing under various flow conditions.
We recently celebrated the new outfall officially coming online! The second phase of a project that adds capacity to the Pasco Wastewater Treatment Plant, this new outfall will accommodate the increase in treated water discharged into the river. Crews are now working to remove the old outfall and restore the ecosystem at the construction site.
#waterengineering#consorprojects
Don't miss the 2nd in our Florida Engineering Society (FES) Water Webinar Series on May 14. The Future of Water Supply in Florida - ONE WATER with Gary Hubbard, PE a Board Member of Resiliency Florida, an “A” Water Treatment Operator, and an “A” Wastewater Treatment Operator, and runs the City of Winter Haven Water Department which is an early adopter of the One Water concept. 1 pdh ($50 for FES/ ACEC-FL members)
Gone are the days that communities implement water supply projects where the only benefit to the community is a source of drinking water. Winter Haven’s One Water Master uses integrated water resources management to meet the water resources needs of the community long into the future. Using engineered nature based solutions, the City plans to restore approximately 5,000 acres of historically ditched and drained wetlands to create wetland nature parks with trail systems for the storage of water, serving as a source for aquifer recharge for future water supply, improves flood protection for the region and communities 100 miles downstream to the Gulf of Mexico, helps sustain the local hydrology (lake levels) during periods of drought, improves urban forestry, improves the water quality and the low flow of the Peace River, provide recreational opportunities for the residents of Central Florida, improve the health and wellness of our citizens, provides for additional wildlife habitat and localized increased property values by creating waterfront properties. #floridaengineering#floridawater#waterwebinar#onewater#floridawaterresourceshttps://lnkd.in/e5BXGpCU
Results of a long-running series of U of M research projects aimed at improving #stormwater quality are getting applied by practitioners in the Twin Cities and beyond. Several cities are using research findings to mitigate contamination of—and reduce maintenance costs for—stormwater system components such as retention ponds: https://lnkd.in/g4tnaddW
Austin and San Antonio stand out as unique regions in Texas, situated atop one of the state's most prized resources—the Edwards Aquifer. This freshwater aquifer holds immense value and is subject to rigorous protection measures. Consequently, stormwater quality features in this area are limited, with sand filtration ponds being among the most prevalent.
Functioning much like natural filtration in porous substrates which facilitate stormwater percolation through the ground under gravity's force for hundreds of feet. This natural process effectively captures pollutants and sediment, resulting in clean, clear water.
While the "Austin Sand Filter" operates similarly, it's not intended for drinking purposes. Instead, these systems excel at filtering silt, sediment, trash, hydrocarbons, and to some extent, metals and phosphates. However, maintenance of these systems varies, ranging from routine mowing and trash cleanup to extensive rehabilitation, necessitating media replacement and underdrain system upkeep.
To find out how we can help maintain these sand filters, contact us: https://lnkd.in/eevE5mka#stormwater#civilengineering#stormwaterprofessionalsgroup#texas
Consultants presented a resident-led city panel potential ways to clean up Lake Fayetteville but said more extensive work would be needed to have a lasting effect.
Brad Schleeter and Aaron Boll, P.E. with engineering firm Olsson on Monday presented to the Environmental Action Committee the results of a yearlong study to improve the water quality at the lake. The City Council used $201,840 in federal pandemic-era American Rescue Plan money to pay for the study. The committee took no vote but asked questions.
The consultants recommended six ways to help clear up the lake within about five years. Initial cost of the methods would be about $6.8 million if implemented all together, with additional money needed for upkeep in subsequent years. Total cost to implement all of the methods over the next 15 years would be about $9.8 million.
All of the methods are efforts that would be done within the lake itself. However, to have a lasting impact, more work would need to be done within the larger watershed, reaching beyond the city limits, to lessen the amount of sediment feeding into the lake.
Very cool project being worked on here locally to help improve the local resources as well as the overall watershed in this region!
#weareolsson#waterresources#engineering#localimpact#waterislife#nwarkansas#nwarealestatehttps://lnkd.in/dXa2bP5a
Presenting and sharing the knowledge Stormwater360 has accumulated over a few decades of treating stormwater runoff is a favourite part of my job. Answering the tough questions at the end is even more fun: it’s only through questioning or hearing a different viewpoint, and really having to think what the answer might be, that we learn new things.
Turns out I use my hands a lot public speaking! If you’d like to hear what I’m so animated about, get in touch and I can come talk about all things stormwater (and maybe even bring in morning tea or lunch).
#stormwater#education#stormwatertreatment#Stormwatermanagement#morningtea
Though the word innovative might not be entirely accurate, the town of Prescott Valley has received a grant to tackle a huge challenge in desert climates. The project will look to capture runoff from rooftops in infiltration trenches to recharge the aquifer that numerous residents rely on for their wells.
The completed a pilot project to study the prospects of this program nearly 5-years ago and found great results: https://buff.ly/3KwyNSo
The lessons learned sections highlights one of the most forgot parts of capturing runoff and infiltrating it, providing and maintaining adequate pre-treatment.
#stormwatermanagement#civilengineer
#StormwaterManagement#GroundwaterRecharge#Arizona#ArizonaWaterConservationGrantFund#TracyLund#TownOfPrescottValley#PeterBourgois#YavapaiPrescottIndianTribe
"The Town of Prescott Valley, in partnership with the Yavapai Prescott Indian Tribe, has been awarded a $714,000 grant for an innovative Rainwater Harvesting for Aquifer Recharge project. The grant money comes from the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona Water Conservation Grant Fund.
Rainwater harvesting captures stormwater from rooftops and directs it into the ground for long-term aquifer storage, an efficient use of a supply that is often underutilized.
Prescott Valley’s project will pay for installation of rainwater harvesting systems at six buildings owned by the Town and the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe, including the Prescott Valley Library, Police Department, Civic Center, and Wheelhouse Sports Complex, along with two buildings owned by the Tribe.
"The Yavapai Prescott Indian Tribe is excited to get this project going with the Town of Prescott Valley. This work is a valuable addition to our environmental stewardship,” said Tribal Planner Peter Bourgois.
Rainwater Harvesting for Aquifer Recharge is an innovative approach versus the traditional method to harvest rainwater. This method uses a concept that directs stormwater precipitation into the ground for long-term aquifer storage. Instead of attempting to capture rainwater in barrels or cisterns, this approach uses available storage capacity in the aquifer, capturing and recharging rainwater to offset groundwater overdraft from pumping. These systems do not require complex installation and require very little maintenance once installed.
“This project is an important part of our overall plan to infiltrate stormwater in an effort to achieve Safe Yield in the Prescott Active Management Area. The Town is taking a holistic approach to responsibly manage water and balance our aquifer,” Water Resources Advisor Tracy Lund said.
The Prescott Valley rainwater harvesting project supports the Town's current effort to develop a comprehensive municipal stormwater plan. These projects will be engineered and constructed starting in fall 2024.
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Civil Engineer | Stormwater Expert | Industry Educator
Though the word innovative might not be entirely accurate, the town of Prescott Valley has received a grant to tackle a huge challenge in desert climates. The project will look to capture runoff from rooftops in infiltration trenches to recharge the aquifer that numerous residents rely on for their wells.
The completed a pilot project to study the prospects of this program nearly 5-years ago and found great results: https://buff.ly/3KwyNSo
The lessons learned sections highlights one of the most forgot parts of capturing runoff and infiltrating it, providing and maintaining adequate pre-treatment.
#stormwatermanagement#civilengineer
Whether you are building a new house or planning a large commercial project, you can’t do anything until you clear a spot for your project. But this is easier said than done.
Clearing land is a big task and not for the faint of heart. You should definitely call in the professionals to help with this one. But who should you call?
Let’s look at a few factors to consider when choosing the right land-clearing service for your project in Michigan.
https://lnkd.in/ghwyAxiX
Whether you are building a new house or planning a large commercial project, you can’t do anything until you clear a spot for your project. But this is easier said than done.
Clearing land is a big task and not for the faint of heart. You should definitely call in the professionals to help with this one. But who should you call?
Let’s look at a few factors to consider when choosing the right land-clearing service for your project in Michigan.
https://lnkd.in/ghwyAxiX
BIM4Sites creates the floor plans and Revit models you expect, when you expect them, for a price you won’t expect. Let us prove it to you.
6moWhat a great company! I have worked with Dewberry since the late 1980’s when they had just one office. Still working with them today!