Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD)
Louisville, Kentucky
In response to a Consent Decree entered into Federal Court in August of 2005, the Louisville and
Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) developed an Integrated Overflow
Abatement Plan (IOAP) to control the community’s combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and
sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). The Consent Decree contained a provision for stakeholders to
participate in the development and implementation of the Long-Term Control Plan and the
Sanitary Sewer Discharge Plan.
Recognizing that the development of the IOAP Program would represent a major investment for
the community, MSD expanded the influence of the stakeholder group to assist in developing
community support for the investments necessary to comply with the Consent Decree
requirements.
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Posted: May 20th, 2011 | Filed under: 500K-1M, Sanitary Sewer, Stormwater, Water Treatment | Tags: Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Control, Cost Savings, Increased Community Support, Overflow Abatement Plant, Plant Optimization, Regulatory Compliance, Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) Control | No Comments »
The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) Optimization Program includes both
direct and collaborative research with the intention of optimizing both the liquid treatment and
solids operations at Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs). This paper will report WERF
research that has been completed in three areas: Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)
benchmarking and best practices in Europe; WWTP benchmarking and best practices in North
America; and a visioning of the WWTP of the Future. That visioning will include an overview of
the WERF report on a visioning workshop attended by international experts.
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Posted: May 20th, 2011 | Filed under: Stormwater, Waste Water Treatment, Water Treatment | Tags: Best Management Practices, Cost Savings, Energy Optimization, Energy Savings, Environmental Impact, Plant Optimization, Plant Sustainability, Reduced Carbon Footprint | No Comments »
Due to increasing public interest in water purity, and projected sharp increases in energy costs in
the near future, Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) are becoming interested in optimizing
their activated sludge process to reduce operating costs, and stabilize process operation. This
paper presents an activated sludge process evaluation that describes how aeration energy savings
of 23 to 45% and process stability can be obtained by controlling the Solids Retention Time
(SRT) and Dissolved Oxygen (DO).
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Posted: May 20th, 2011 | Filed under: Waste Water Treatment | Tags: Aeration Control, Controlled Nitrification, Controlled Solids Retention Time, Cost Savings, Energy Savings, Environmental Impact, Minimized Dissolved Oxygen Fluctuation, Plant Optimization, Plant Sustainability, Process Optimization, Reduced Carbon Footprint, Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions | No Comments »
City of Mishawaka WWTP
Mishawaka, Indiana
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems are superior to other digester gas utilization systems
in their ability to reduce utility costs and carbon emissions. Economic viability of digester gasfired
CHP is a function of many plant specific variables, foremost of which are electric and gas
utility rates, building and process heating (and cooling) loads, digester gas impurities, and
digester gas production. These and other utility, system, and plant specific data impacts on
digester gas energy recovery system economics are presented, discussed, and evaluated using
both simple and sophisticated energy modeling techniques.
Some noteworthy findings are the greatly superior return on investment, compared to CHP
alternatives, of heating-only systems in plants with significant facility heating loads, and the
general need for monetary incentives, both capital and operating, to lower economic hurdles to
cogeneration implementation.
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Posted: May 20th, 2011 | Filed under: 50k-100k, Waste Water Treatment, Water Treatment | Tags: Combined Heat and Power, Cost Savings, Energy Savings, Environmental Impact, Improved Digester Gas Energy Recovery, Plant Optimization, Plant Sustainability, Reduced Carbon Footprint, Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions | No Comments »
Upper Occoquan Service Authority
Centreville, Virginia
The cost of energy has become an increasing concern to water and wastewater utilities.
Economic drivers, combined with general industry concerns about energy supply reliability,
climate change, and sustainability have encouraged many utilities to consider alternative project
delivery methods to finance desired energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. One such
alternative delivery method is the Energy Performance Contract.
Energy performance contracting has been applied most actively by Energy Service Companies
(ESCOs) to implement building efficiency improvements at institutional facilities: universities,
schools, hospitals, and government buildings. It has been only within the past five years that
municipal water and wastewater utilities began using this alternative delivery method to
implement energy efficiency improvements at their treatment plants.
This paper provides an overview of energy performance contracting and the ESCO market. It
also presents a case study from a municipal wastewater utility in Virginia that is utilizing energy
performance contracting to implement energy efficiency projects: the Upper Occoquan Service
Authority in Centreville, VA.
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Posted: May 20th, 2011 | Filed under: >1M, Stormwater, Waste Water Treatment, Water Treatment | Tags: Cost Savings, Energy Efficiency, Energy Savings, Heat Drying, Plant Optimization, Plant Sustainability, Reduced Carbon Footprint, Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Renewable Energy | No Comments »
Downriver Wastewater Treatment Facility
Wayne, Michigan
The need for physical, mechanical and process upgrade of six 165-foot diameter peripheral feed
secondary clarifiers at the Wayne County, Michigan Downriver Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF)
was identified as part of a capital improvement program. Improved efficiency was also needed to provide
reliable operation for entire range of design conditions. An evaluation of the existing final clarifier
process was performed to develop the recommended plan for improvements based on site specific testing,
mathematical modeling and consideration of proven best practices. The proposed improvements were
recommended based on the modeling with consideration of proven practices and included a new orifice based
influent peripheral feed channel, new effluent channel and weirs, and manifold type hydraulic
suction mechanisms. Performance testing after installation confirmed the process design parameters were
achieved by the upgraded secondary clarifiers.
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Posted: May 20th, 2011 | Filed under: 100K-500K, 500K-1M, Waste Water Treatment, Water Treatment | Tags: Best Practices, Capitol Improvement Planning, CFD Modeling, Improved Reliability, Plant Optimization, Secondary Clarifier Improvements | No Comments »
Many wastewater utilities are developing or have recently developed biosolids management
plans (BMP) that provide a strategy for 20 to 25 years into the future. In developing BMPs,
wastewater utilities are faced with many challenges, such as satisfying the customer base,
satisfying internal and external stakeholders and developing a BMP that is affordable,
sustainable for the future and meets regulations. Traditionally, small, medium and some largesized
wastewater utilities have land applied anaerobically digested Class B biosolids either as
liquid or dewatered cake, while several of the larger wastewater utilities have thermally oxidized
their biosolids. With growing public pressure to reduce or cease land application, there has been
renewed interest in thermal oxidation as a management strategy, often raising the question: is it
sustainable? If the wastewater utility has existing digestion, is thermal oxidation compatible with
digestion or should digestion be stopped?
This paper presents a comparison of six different thermal oxidation process schemes with respect
to their economic, energy and carbon footprints for undigested and digested solids. The results of
the comparison provide wastewater utility staff and engineers with the positive answer to the
question “Is thermal oxidation of biosolids with energy recovery sustainable?”
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Posted: May 20th, 2011 | Filed under: Waste Water Treatment, Water Treatment | Tags: Cogeneration, Energy Recovery, Environmental Impact, Green Infrastructure, Plant Optimization, Plant Sustainability, Reduced Carbon Footprint, Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Thermal Oxidation | No Comments »
Daphne Utilities
Daphne, Alabama
Through a process of management changes, employee engagement and adopting a performance
culture, a small utility transformed itself from near financial ruin to a utility known nationwide as
one of the best small companies to work for in America. By following the simple steps outlined
in this article, Utilities across the country can follow this model to build their own winning
workplace.
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Posted: May 20th, 2011 | Filed under: <50K, Stormwater, Waste Water Treatment, Water Treatment | Tags: Cost Effective Operation, Cross-Training, Employee Development, Improved Customer Relations, Improved Employee Morale, Improved Team Work, Improved Utility Management, Optimized Plant Operation, Plant Optimization | No Comments »
Lee County Utilities
Fort Myers, Florida
Many Florida public utilities continue to dispose of Class B sludge through various land
application methods permitted under current Florida Department of Environmental Protection
(FDEP) and the Federal 40 CFR 503 regulations. However, in rapidly urbanizing areas, such as
Lee County (FL), loss of agricultural land is placing increased pressure on biosolids generators
to pursue innovative management practices to dispose of wastewater treatment residuals.
Furthermore, an increase in local and regional regulatory constraints on land application is
further complicating residuals management activities.
To address the loss of agricultural land application sites and local/regional constraints, Lee
County Utilities (LCU) initiated an investigation into the feasibility of constructing and operating
an alternate biosolids management facility capable of producing a Class A quality end-product to
offer a wider variety of options for disposal. The final feasibility report included considerations
for regulatory issues, end-product market potential, a variety of possible technologies, alternate
site locations, and comparative costs to present operations. The report concluded that a Class A
facility was feasible but that present worth costs would be slightly higher than continuing present
practice of disposal of Class B biosolids at a land fill if the County were to self-perform all
hauling. However, in the interest of promoting beneficial re-use of biosolids, the Lee County
Board of Commissioners unanimously approved that the proposed biosolids facility, utilizing a
thermal dryer, be designed and constructed. The facility will be located on Lee County’s Solid
Waste Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Facility and will utilize excess steam produced at the WTE
facility as the heating medium. The RFP document development to procure a design-buildoperate
firm is ongoing. This paper high-lights the main aspects of the report and the common
issues that typical municipalities are facing in the ever declining world of Class B disposal
options.
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Posted: May 3rd, 2011 | Filed under: 100K-500K, Waste Water Treatment, Water Treatment | Tags: Biosolids Management, Class A Biosolids, Environmental Impact, Plant Optimization, Reduced Carbon Footprint, Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions | No Comments »
JEA
Jacksonville, Florida
In 2004 JEA (the electric and wastewater utility in Jacksonville, FL) was receiving more residuals than the Buckman wastewater treatment plant (Buckman or WWTP) was able to process. Buckman treats approximately 32 mgd of wastewater through a combination of primary and advanced secondary treatment. The plant also processes sludge produced at 15 other plants from the combined treatment of an additional 47 mgd of wastewater for a total sludge production associated with treatment of roughly 80 mgd. In 2004, the thermal dryer system was overloaded and the anaerobic digestion system was being operated at near washout conditions. These issues required development of short term, cost-effective strategies to bring the BRBMF under control. The rapid population growth in JEA’s service territory and the potential to assume the operation of 4 to 5 mgd of
additional capacity in some new JEA WWTPs made the need to develop midand long-range strategies apparent. In response, JEA convened a “Blue Ribbon Panel” of sludge treatment/biosolids experts from selected consulting firms and various divisions within JEA; this panel was organized similarly to the highly successful expert group that developed the utility’s biological nutrient removal (BNR) strategies. The Biosolids Blue Ribbon Panel included John Willis and Ted Hortenstine of Brown and Caldwell; John Donovan and Richard Moore of CDM; Michael Bullard and Pat Davis of Hazen and Sawyer; and as well as Scott Schultz, Scott Kelly, Colin
Groff and David Kowalski from JEA. This paper summarizes some identified improvements that were implemented on a fast track basis by JEA staff; results from a digester investigation by Brown and Caldwell; and identified
the next steps to further alleviate JEA’s solids handling limitations. The digestion evaluation has identified means to increase Buckman’s overall digestion MCRT from less than 10 days to between 25 and 35 days for an extremely cost effective investment of roughly $1 million.
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Posted: May 3rd, 2011 | Filed under: Electric, Sanitary Sewer, Waste Water Treatment, Water Treatment | Tags: Cost Savings, Energy Savings, Environmental Impact, Improved Thermal Drying, Plant Optimization, Plant Sustainability, Reduced Carbon Footprint, Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions | No Comments »