McCabe, Andy

Andy is an environmental engineer at Barr Engineering, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He specializes in aquatic chemistry and physical/chemical...

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About McCabe, Andy

Andy is an environmental engineer at Barr Engineering, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He specializes in aquatic chemistry and physical/chemical water treatment. He primarily works in stormwater treatment, mine water treatment, and PFAS water treatment applications. He holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and a BS in Biochemistry from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He is a strong supporter of natural resource stewardship and mental health awareness.

McCabe, Andy

Titles from this speaker

Cost of Removing PFAS from WRRF Effluent and Biosolids

Abstract

This study developed capital and operation and maintenance (O&M) cost estimates and curves to remove and destroy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from municipal water resource recovery facility (WRRF) effluent and biosolids. Class 5 cost estimates (-30%/+50%) for the assumed design bases were estimated based on vendor quotes and standard design practices for combinations of technologies pre-screened to be both commercially applied and effective at PFAS separation and/or destruction. Three treatment alternatives were developed for 0.1 to 10 MGD of tertiary treated WRRF effluent and two treatment alternatives were developed for 1.0 to 10 dry tons per day (dtpd) of dewatered WRRF biosolids. Estimated costs for a 10 MGD facility producing 10 dptd biosolids are approximately $79 to $250 million in capital costs and $50 to $20 million in annual operating costs, including consideration of all alternatives developed. Cost per mass of targeted PFAS removed (7 compounds for WRRF effluent and 9 compounds for WRRF biosolids) ranged from $370,000 per pound of PFAS removed from a 50 dptd WRRF biosolids treatment facility to $8 million per pound of PFAS removed from a 0.1 MGD WRRF effluent treatment facility. These costs do not include any retrofits needed to add tertiary treatment upstream of PFAS separation processes for WRRF effluent or to achieve 15%-25% solids content prior to PFAS destruction processes for WRRF biosolids.

This study developed capital and O&M cost estimates to remove and destroy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from municipal water resource recovery facility (WRRF) tertiary effluent and dewatered biosolids. Estimated costs for a 10 MGD/10 dtpd facility are approximately $79 to $250 million in capital costs and $50 to $20 million in annual operating costs. 20-year costs per mass of PFAS removed ranged from $370,000 per pound to $8 million per pound of PFAS removed.

SpeakerLing, Alison

Presentation time

16:30:00

17:00:00

Session time

15:30:00

17:00:00

SessionPFAS Impacted WRFs: Knowledge Update

Session locationRoom S401d - Level 4

TopicDisinfection and Public Health, Intermediate Level, PFAS, Research and Innovation, Utility Management and Leadership

Author(s)

Ling, Alison

Author(s)A. Ling 1; B. Vermace 2 ; A. McCabe 3; K. Wolohan 4; D. Dursun 5; M. Blate 6; M. Abu-Orf 6; S. Kyser 7; A. Ling 1;

Author affiliation(s)Department of Civil Engineering, University of St. Thomas 1; Barr Engineering Company 2 ; Barr Engineering Company 3; Barr Engineering Company 4; Hazen and Sawyer 5; Hazen and Sawyer 6; Hazen and Sawyer 6; Minnesota Pollution Control Agency 7; Department of Civil Engineering, University of St. Thomas 1;

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2023

DOI10.2175/193864718825159129

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count10

Performance of an Active Phosphorus Removal Filter in an Urban Watershed

Abstract

Summary This study describes the performance of a constructed surface water filtration system containing three different types of reactive media to remove phosphorus from Lake Cornelia, located in Edina, Minnesota. This paper will summarize phosphorus removal efficiencies observed during the first year of monitoring and outline operational challenges encountered during start-up and the initial monitoring period. Introduction Lake Cornelia is shallow and has a large urban watershed (975 acres) with highly impervious commercial areas. Average total phosphorus concentrations in Lake Cornelia typically exceed the Minnesota state standard of 60 micrograms per liter (µg/L). This has led to significant algal blooms (including cyanobacteria) and poor water clarity. In collaboration with the City of Edina, the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District constructed a unique surface water filtration system at Rosland Park to address external phosphorus loading to Lake Cornelia. The filtration feature consists of a series of constructed concrete basins with an anthracite pre-filter for particulate removal and parallel up-flow reactive media filters for dissolved phosphorus removal. The filter is positioned in a park between a large upstream stormwater pond and Lake Cornelia. Water discharged from the pond is actively pumped to the filtration system for treatment. The advantage of this filter over a conventional passive iron-enhanced sand filter is that it can treat substantially more water while maintaining a relatively small footprint to preserve the park's green space. Construction of the filtration feature was completed in July 2022, and performance monitoring began in August 2022. The performance monitoring period is expected to continue through fall 2024. This paper will present initial phosphorus removal results, operational and maintenance activities, and cost considerations. Design The filter system includes a fish screen, an aeration manhole, a pretreatment anthracite cell (Cell 1), and three parallel up-flow filter cells (Cells 2, 3, and 4). Each up-flow cell contains a different reactive media for dissolved phosphorus removal (listed below) that was selected based on performance results from an onsite column study:

*Cell 2: a granite sand aggregate material mixed with 5% (w/w) of zero-valent iron (ZVI).

*Cell 3: an aggregate calcium carbonate media mixed with 5% (w/w) of ZVI.

*Cell 4: granite sand mixed with 10% (by weight) aluminum/iron oxide composite. The maximum design flow rate of the filter is 400 gpm. The filter was initially operated for 12 hours per day and was adjusted to run 24 hours per day during the 2023 operating season as water levels allowed. Monitoring Performance of the filtration system is monitored at eight locations (the filter influent, after the aeration manhole, the effluents from Cells 1-4, the composite effluent, and the backwash from Cell 1) on a weekly to biweekly basis from April to November. Several field and analytical parameters are collected and will be outlined in the presentation. Results Typical flow rates, totalized flows, and performance monitoring results for phosphorus removal are summarized in Table 1. The overall total phosphorus removal efficiency is 40%, which is approximately 13 pounds of phosphorus removed since start-up. Variations in phosphorus removal efficiencies are primarily attributed to fluctuations in the hydraulic residence times and media contact efficiencies. Operations and Maintenance Typical routine operation and maintenance activities include periodic backwashes of Cell 1 to remove suspended solids and removing debris from the fish screen, both of which are manual operations. During the spring and fall, when algae concentrations are low, backwashes are typically required weekly. When algae concentrations peak in the summer, backwashes are required twice weekly to maintain forward flow. Operational challenges have included the following:

*Air entrainment in the anthracite filter cell during shut-down periods, which causes air-locking and restriction of forward flow;

*Development of mudballs (an agglomeration of solids and media) in the anthracite media; and

*Decay in Cells 2 and 3 performances due to media fusing, resulting in uneven flow distribution and preferential flow paths . This paper will focus on the reactive media filter cells' phosphorus removal performance and address operational challenges and potential solutions at a high level. Project Significance The surface water filtration system is trialing several unique design features aimed to advance stormwater and surface water treatment techniques for urban watersheds, including:

*Employing filtration media with a high hydraulic capacity to maximize the amount of water treated within a small footprint;

*Utilizing an up-flow filter to minimize degradation of performance due to filter clogging; and

*Implementing an anthracite pre-treatment filter cell for particulate management. These Performance monitoring results will benefit the stormwater community by assessing the performance, operation, and maintenance needs of these design features and providing data to evaluate the suitability of this design for other locations. The next steps are to complete the two-year performance monitoring program, which will ultimately inform design improvements and final media selection for long-term operations.

This study describes the performance of a constructed surface water filtration system containing three different types of reactive media to remove phosphorus from Lake Cornelia, located in Edina, Minnesota. This paper summarizes the phosphorus removal efficiencies observed during the first year of monitoring and the operational challenges encountered during start-up and the initial monitoring period.

SpeakerMcCabe, Andy

Presentation time

15:30:00

16:00:00

Session time

15:30:00

17:00:00

SessionAdvancements in Nutrient Removal: Insights from Urban Watersheds

Session number428

Session locationRoom 344

TopicAdvanced Level, Stormwater and Green Infrastructure, Watershed Management, Water Quality, and Groundwater

Author(s)

McCabe, Andy, McCabe, Andy, Bintner, Ross, Kieffer, Janna, Nelson, Sorel, Pilgrim, Keith, Sniegowski, Erica

Author(s)A. McCabe1, S. Nelson1, R. Bintner2, J. Kieffer1, S. Nelson1, K. Pilgrim1, E. Sniegowski3

Author affiliation(s)1Barr Engineering Co., MN, 2City of Edina, MN, 3Nine Mile Creek Watershed District, MN

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2024

DOI10.2175/193864718825159661

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count12

Description: Regional Supercritical Water Oxidation Facility for PFAS-laden Industrial...

Regional Supercritical Water Oxidation Facility for PFAS-laden Industrial Pretreatment Wastes

Abstract

A regional super critical water oxidation (SCWO) facility has the potential to provide an economically viable, energy-neutral destruction alternative for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) able to accept multiple concentrated waste streams. SCWO is a physicalthermal process capable of destroying PFAS with the ability to capture energy from the destruction process for energy production, providing the opportunity to turn PFAS destruction from a huge user of electricity to an energy-neutral or even energy-positive endeavor. Energy production is fueled by high-energy waste streams, which could include granular activated carbon (GAC) media, and anion exchange resins (AER), and biosolids. This desktop study outlines conceptual design and economic analysis for regional SCWO infrastructure to handle spent media and foamate from industrial pretreatment systems.

This paper was presented at WEFTEC 2023 in Chicago, IL.

SpeakerLing, Alison

Presentation time

08:35:00

09:05:00

Session time

08:30:00

10:00:00

SessionApproaches to PFAS Destruction and Centralized Treatment

Session locationRoom S401d - Level 4

TopicPFAS

Author(s)

Ling, Alison

Author(s)A. Ling 1; A. McCabe 2 ; D. Garb 3; S. Viswanathan 4;

Author affiliation(s)Department of Civil Engineering, University of St. Thomas 1; Barr Engineering 2 ; 374Water 3; 374Water 4;

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2023

DOI10.2175/193864718825159143

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count11

Spent Media Management Options for Industrial PFAS Treatment Applications

Abstract

Introduction Many municipal WRRFs are evaluating upstream per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) sources and requiring industrial pretreatment in response to regulatory drivers and public scrutiny. While the technology space for PFAS separation and destruction is experiencing rapid acceleration in development and scale-up, the gold standard for removing both long- and short-chain PFAS removal from water remains sorption media and ion exchange due to high achievable effluent water quality and concentration factors. Several good reviews have highlighted design and operation considerations for sorption and ion exchange removal of PFAS (1—5). In addition, other reviews have addressed the growing suite of PFAS destruction technologies available (6—8). However, there is a lack of targeted guidance for how facilities can manage spent media and incorporate operational considerations into facility design. Most spent media is currently routed to disposal via either landfilling, hazardous waste incineration, or GAC reactivation, but emerging technologies have the potential to reduce costs and energy usage associated with media management. Objective and Significance This project addresses this gap by outlining status and outlook for spent media disposal options, including their full management pathway, design and planning considerations, and comparative energy usage of each option. With the increasing implementation of PFAS removal in industrial wastewater systems, this will support planning and decision making both for existing and future treatment systems. Figure 1 illustrates different pathways currently available or expected to be available in the near future, while Table 1 presents a comparison of different spent media management options. Results Options to regenerate media onsite include regenerable ion exchange resin or GAC. Onsite regeneration removes PFAS from media in place, producing a concentrated PFAS waste stream that can be destroyed using any number of offsite or onsite liquid destruction technologies (Figure 1). Thus, onsite media regeneration as a system acts as a liquid-liquid concentration step comparable to reverse osmosis or foam fractionation. IX media specifically designed for regeneration has been developed for PFAS. This resin can be regenerated onsite using brine and solvent, then returned to service. Regeneration cycles need to occur more often than changeout for single-use resins, due to lower PFAS removal capacity. Regenerable resin significantly reduces the volume of waste generated requiring disposal. When PFAS concentrations are in the low ppb and operational timeframes for remediation are 10 years or longer, regenerable resin often makes economic sense and should be considered. While regenerable ion exchange is most effective with specific, regenerable media, GAC regeneration can be implemented with standard bituminous carbon and thus can be retrofit into an existing GAC treatment system. Revive Environmental's GAC RENEWTM technology enables on-site GAC regeneration that optimizes for time, resources, and energy. This technology utilizes extraction-based, non-thermal technology to further concentrate and destroy PFAS in GAC used to treat groundwater and drinking water. Offsite thermal GAC reactivation is commercially available, with regional facilities operated by GAC vendors. Thermally reactivated GAC has demonstrated comparable PFAS removal performance to virgin GAC when returned to the same site for reuse (3). GAC reactivation facilities typically only enter site-specific reactivation contracts with facilities exceeding 80,000 pounds carbon per changeout, so effective use of thermal reactivation is limited to large facilities (at least 1-5 MGD, depending on concentrations and water quality). This option also requires transportation to and from the facility. Existing disposal options for single-use media include landfilling and hazardous waste incineration. Landfilling has the issue of not destroying PFAS and serving as a medium-term sink and source of PFAS. The ability of hazardous waste incineration to fully defluorinate PFAS remains uncertain, and its ongoing use for PFAS disposal is challenged by regulatory uncertainty and limited capacity. An alternate disposal option for single-use media is supercritical water oxidation (SCWO), which has demonstrated high destruction efficiencies (9). Disposal of spent media via SCWO also carries the potential for significant energy recovery, as both GAC and IX resin are high-energy feedstocks and current operating data suggests that ongoing operation would not require external fuel. Table 2 summarizes initial estimates for energy use and costs for options presented above. GAC regeneration offers lower operating costs per mass of media regenerated or changed out than single-use media options with offsite disposal, but potential savings will depend on how regeneration frequencies compare to changeout and disposal frequencies. When considering life-cycle energy usage, the energy used to produce virgin carbon to replace single-use GAC systems is the most significant factor. Site-specific factors that influence which management options are most practical include facility size and location, influent water quality, and type of media used (if already determined).

This work addresses industrial wastewater facilities treating PFAS and summarizes status and outlook for spent media disposal options, including technology readiness levels, energy usage, and operating costs. Onsite IX and GAC regeneration options have the potential to significantly reduce operating costs, especially in high-concentrations applications. Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) is an emerging offsite management option with the potential to be energy neutral or positive.

SpeakerLing, Alison

Presentation time

16:30:00

17:00:00

Session time

15:30:00

17:00:00

SessionRevolutionizing PFAS Treatment: Harnessing the Power of Media Technologies

Session number230

Session locationRoom 338

TopicIntermediate Level, Microconstituents and Contaminants of Emerging Concern (Non-PFAS), PFAS, Research and Innovation

Author(s)

Ling, Alison, Thompson, Margaret, Trueba, David, Viswanathan, Sudhakar, McCabe, Andy

Author(s)A. Ling1, M. Thompson2, D. Trueba3, S. Viswanathan4, A. McCabe5

Author affiliation(s)1University of St. Thomas, MN, 2ECT2, NC, 3Revive Environmental, 4374Water, NC, 5Barr Engineering Co., MN

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2024

DOI10.2175/193864718825159677

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count10

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McCabe, Andy

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