Pushing the Limit on Energy Efficiency for a Major Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion Design

The Southport Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (AWT) is located in Indianapolis, IN and is expanding to a peak wet weather treatment capacity of 270 mgd. To minimize the operational cost impacts of the expanded facility, the design team worked with the owner (Citizens Energy Group) through the design process to address energy optimization. Refinements throughout the design process to the aeration tankage, tank mixing and channel mixing systems resulted in a total annual energy savings of approximately $145,000 per year as the design progressed. Refinements included independent mixing of the large mixed liquor channel, optimizing the pressure set points on the dual-vane, adding single stage centrifugal blowers, and reducing the anoxic mixer horsepower to achieve process requirements while avoiding wasting energy through unnecessary mixing.