POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS CITY OF JEFFERSON, MISSOURI

Jefferson City, Missouri faced several challenges in 1999 concerning the ability of their existing wastewater infrastructure to meet community demands:They were borderline on effluent quality compliance;They were at the maximum capacity of their trickling filters; andThey received frequent odor complaint from neighbors, including the governor's mansion across the river.Jacobs Engineering responded by preparing and executing a facility plan and wastewater system master plan that addressed these challenges, and also addressed wet weather flows, retained flexibility to address future regulatory requirements and staged improvements to make effective use of State Revolving Funds (SRFs).The centerpieces of the improvements were replacing the Walnut Street Pump Station, located within direct line of site from the Missouri State Capitol, with a new 60-mgd station; installing a 30” force main to deliver water across the Missouri River to the City's wastewater plant using Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD); and replacing the City's aging trickling filter system with an innovative modified sequencing batch reactor (SBR) process. The plant design allows for meeting present and anticipated future effluent limits, as well as handling peak wet weather flows in excess of what traditional approaches could.Aesthetic challenges including odor, and providing for the proximity and visibility of the sites from the capitol and governor's mansion were effectively addressed, evidenced in part by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) award-winning administration, control and lab facility. Odors were eliminated. Finally, a portion of the treated effluent was directed to the old primary clarifiers, which were converted into constructed wetland “demonstration ponds” in a park-like setting for visitors to witness firsthand the ecological compatibility of the plant with the surrounding environment.