University Area Joint Authority Beneficial Reuse Project – 20 Months of Operation

The University Area Joint Authority (UAJA) has adopted Beneficial Reuse of wastewater as its preferred option to address future wastewater treatment and disposal needs of its service area. Beneficial Reuse was chosen after intensive and detailed study of the complex issues associated with the unique environmental characteristics of the State College, Pennsylvania area (the Centre Region), most notably the Spring Creek watershed. A 316(a) demonstration conducted by UAJA lasted for more than four years and concluded with agreement that any point source discharge from UAJA that exceeds an annual average of 6.0 million gallons per day could have negative thermal impacts to the watershed and will not be permitted. Beneficial Reuse has been developed to allow managed growth in the region, while maintaining a high quality of life for residents and protecting the natural environment. The Beneficial Reuse alternative incorporates improvements to the existing UAJA wastewater treatment plant (including microfiltration and reverse osmosis) to produce drinking water quality reclaimed wastewater for conveyance to reuse customers for industrial and agricultural uses, as well to provide water for specific environmental enhancements. The project has been constructed and has been operated on a limited basis for about 20 months. Many start-up problems were overcome and many operational lessons have been learned.