HENDERSON'S NEW WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY: CHOOSING BETWEEN MEMBRANE AND NON-MEMBRANE SOLUTIONS

INTRODUCTION The City of Henderson, Nevada is developing a new water reclamation facility to service the needs of its growing population. Henderson continues to be one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing cities in the U.S. The facility plan for the City's existing water reclamation plant was completed in 1997, and since that time the City's service area (current and anticipated) has grown dramatically. In June 2003, the City completed their preliminary planning for the 6,100-acre Southwest Henderson annexation. In addition to the original 6,100-acre annexation, City planning was updated in 2004 to include another 6,570 acres for future development in Southwest Henderson, for a total projected increase of 12,670 acres. The Southwest Water Reclamation Facility (SWRF) will operate as a “satellite” facility, intercepting and reclaiming wastewater flows from this Southwest Henderson area. To satisfy the anticipated discharge criteria, an effluent quality of better than 10 mg/L total nitrogen and 0.1 mg/L Total Phosphorus will be required.The project team identified all viable treatment alternatives available for the City of Henderson Southwest Water Reclamation Facility (SWRF) and conducted a preliminary screening of available alternatives. By screening the full range of available technologies, subsequent planning and evaluation was focused on those alternatives that met the basic requirements of the project. This process of moving from a broad list of alternatives to a preferred alternative was guided by the decision support system. This approach provided rigor, prudency, and sufficient documentation to the decision making process and produce a recommendation that reflects the City's values.