In about 2002, DC Water (Washington, D.C.) began a process control system (PCS) automation project at the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant. The $34 million, 10-year project was designed to provide comprehensive monitoring of the facility hydraulics from influent to final discharge. It also included alarm states, equipment on/off condition, flows, tank levels, and such qualitative information as dissolved oxygen, chlorine residual, and ammonia concentrations. Also, collection and storage of historical data performance began as soon as loop testing confirmed that inputs received by PCS were valid. This was better information than had been available for decision-making prior to PCS.However, installing and operating this core system, while quite a leap forward, simply set the stage for Blue Plains staff to continue to add to and learn from the PCS. This system enables the operations and maintenance groups to control the overall facility and help coordinate large and changing upgrades and modifications. One of the early and successful goals was for DC Water to be largely self-sufficient in the operation and expansion of the PCS.At present, the Operations Director estimates that more than 99% of the operating facility is monitored or controlled from the central control room. In his opinion, “PCS is certainly an integral part of our DNA and we cannot imagine operating without it. Especially true for the new processes we have installed.”

Since its inception, the land application program at the Landis Sewerage Authority (LSA) has had to adapt to numerous New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) nutrient management policy changes and public acceptance issues to ensure the integration of high environmental quality, public health, and economic viability. These goals have been met through a combination of innovative...

In May 2015, Alexandria Renew Enterprises (AlexRenew), a 54 MGD advanced resource recovery facility, started up a centrate pretreatment (CPT) system. This system utilizes the sidestream deammonification process (DEMON®) to remove nitrogen in the centrate that results from dewatering anaerobically-digested sludge. Ammonia removal rate has averaged 90% ranging between 77% and 97% and TN removal...

To prevent the flooding and loss of 50 million worth of equipment in an underground nickel mine, a new effluent water treatment plant (EWTP) was design, procured, built, and commissioned in 20-days. The mine's interim tailings storage facility which was storing the dewatering water was full, and the mine was unable to meet its discharge permit without the construction of the EWTP. The EWTP...

Recently, the State of Florida adopted new rules requiring elimination of open ocean outfalls as wastewater treatment plant effluent management methods by year 2025. The rules require upgrading these WWTPs to comply with effluent TSS, BOD5, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus limits of 5, 5, 3, and 1 mg/L, respectively by 2018 or implementation of alternative treatment and management practices...

A well-balanced O&M program for municipal effluent sewer (STEP) systems results in customer satisfaction and low life cycle costs. Too little maintenance — a “reactive maintenance” approach — leads to premature equipment failure and dissatisfied customers. However, too much maintenance can increase costs unnecessarily. Having tried both approaches over the course of 24...

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) has begun the process at its Deer Island Treatment Plant (referred to as Deer Island) of replacing over 250 valves that are near the end of their useful life. MWRA awarded a $17 million contract to Carlin Construction Company of Connecticut to replace valves and piping throughout the Deer Island Treatment Plant. Many of these valves are critical...

Recently, the State of Florida adopted new rules requiring elimination of open ocean outfalls as wastewater treatment plant effluent management methods by year 2025. The rules require upgrading these WWTPs to comply with effluent TSS, BOD5, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus limits of 5, 5, 3, and 1 mg/L, respectively by 2018 or implementation of alternative treatment and management practices...

In 1983, the NutraSweet Company (NSC) commissioned a hybrid anaerobic treatment system for treating the high-strength wastewater at the site. The anaerobic treatment system has operated continuously from start-up in 1984. The anaerobic treatment facility consists of two upflow reactors with an open or suspended-growth zone in the lower section of the reactor and structural media in the upper part...

The Swatara Township's wastewater plant was submerged in a flood in 2011. With only 24 hours to prepare for this disaster, this paper outlines what we did to minimize the damage, get back on line, and the long cleanup including FEMA reimbursement. The purpose of this paper is four fold, to help operators to:

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) was created in 1984 by the state legislature to address pollution caused by the discharge of inadequately treated sewage into Boston Harbor. The Boston Harbor Project included reconstruction of the Deer Island Treatment Plant (DITP) to include secondary treatment, and construction of a deep water outfall. Since 2000, wastewater effluent has been...

The concentrations of several heavy metals (Arsenic, Cadmium, Copper, Lead, Nickel, Selenium, and Zinc) in biosolids were measured at 30 randomly selected publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) located in the Midwestern United States. Two reference laboratories using standardized and federally accepted analytical protocols provided the analyses. The sampling, transport, analysis, and reporting...

The Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust (OCWUT) reconciled several sanitary sewer overflow data sources and performed an informal condition assessment of their wastewater collection system in response to a Request for Information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Based on the assessment, staff implemented a targeted preventative maintenance program and developed several capital...

This manuscript will summarize the water and wastewater rate and utility benchmarking performed by Citizens Energy Group in 2013-2015 in support of its water and wastewater rate increases that were approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission in 2014. This was the first rate increase sought for the water and wastewater utilities since the utilities were acquired from the City of...

This manuscript will summarize the water and wastewater rate and utility benchmarking performed by Citizens Energy Group in 2013-2015 in support of its water and wastewater rate increases that were approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission in 2014. This was the first rate increase sought for the water and wastewater utilities since the utilities were acquired from the City of...

Lake Mead was formed by the construction of Hoover Dam. It is the largest man made reservoir in the United States. Lake Mead started to fill in 1936 and finished in 1939. For the next 25 years the only water quality concerns were solids settling into the bottom of the reservoir. In 1956 both the City of Las Vegas (197.2 L/s) (4.5mgd) and Clark County (52.6 L/s) (1.2mgd) began discharging...

This paper reviews the use of ozone as a disinfectant for wastewater over the last 30 years. A historical usage profile of ozone disinfection by Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) is presented along with some insights focused on the evolution of ozone generation equipment and ozone transfer and contactor design.The historical usage profile was developed from the literature and work performed...

Since the mid 1970’s the wastewater industry has been busy conducting sanitary sewer evaluation studies (SSES) to identify the most cost effective way of reducing wet weather flows. These studies, over the last 30 years, have involved from very rudimentary flow measurement efforts and limited field investigations to extremely sophisticated condition assessment databases with extensive...

It has been 30 years since the 100th Congress passed the Water Quality Act (WQA) of 1987, establishing todays framework of storm water regulation within the United States. Today, over 80 percent of the population of the United States lives in a political jurisdiction subject to storm water permitting. This paper recounts 30 years of storm water permitting experience, offering the regulated...