Wastewater Archives - Page 2 of 3

Shared Wastewater Treatment Facility, VT

CLIENT: The Towns of Canaan, VT and Stewartstown, NH

PROJECT: Shared Wastewater Treatment Facility

THE CHALLENGE: The existing wastewater treatment facility was 40 years old, costly to operate, and did not meet state and federal water quality standards. In addition, the Towns had very limited funds with which to upgrade the treatment facility.

THE SOLUTION: Tata & Howard helped the Towns secure a $2.412 million low-interest, long-term loan and $1.69 million in grant funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development in order to build the new facility.

Tata & Howard, Inc. provided complete consulting engineering services for the construction of the wastewater treatment facility project which included the complete upgrade of four pump stations as well as the upgraded 0.185 mgd, 3-cell lagoon wastewater treatment facility. In addition, Tata & Howard’s St. Johnsbury, Vermont office, formerly Leach Engineering Consultants, provided full design services for all of the upgrades.

The Towns now enjoy a state-of-the-art, reliable wastewater treatment facility that meets the Effluent Discharge limits to the Connecticut River and provides for a more efficient treatment process. The new influent screening and grit removal processes extend the life of the treatment facility components. In addition, septage receiving provides for additional income and also provides service to the residents of the Towns that are not on public sewer.

The design included numerous energy-efficient features such as variable-frequency drives (VFDs) on aeration blowers, solar-powered lagoon mixers, a wood pellet boiler for heat, energy-efficient windows, and insulated concrete form (ICF) walls, resulting in a reduction in annual operation and maintenance costs. The pump stations were upgraded to eliminate operators entering below grade structures and to allow for future pump replacement that would be lower cost with it would be with the original centrifugal pumps.

PROGRESS: The project is complete, and the Towns celebrated the completion of their shared $4.12 million wastewater treatment facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Canaan, VT.

Mission Critical Storage Tanks, SLVHCS, New Orleans, LA

CLIENT: NBBJ, Columbus, Ohio

PROJECT: Mission critical storage tank systems for Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System (SLVHCS)

hospital new orleans — SLVHCS in New Orleans, LA

THE CHALLENGE: SLVHCS is the successor to the VA Medical Center, which was decimated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The new hospital requirements included green building practices and resiliency during natural disasters, including the ability to remain operational for at least five days with enough provisions and accommodations for up to 1,000 staff and patients in case of a major disaster.

The atrium of Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System — The atrium of SLVHCS

THE SOLUTION: Tata & Howard provided design and construction administration services on specific components of the mission critical storage tanks, which include a domestic water tank, sewage holding tank, cooling tower process and bleed water tank, and fire protection water tank. Our design of specific components of the mission critical tanks included coating, waterproofing, mixing, pumping, bacteria control, odor control, venting, piping to five feet outside the tanks, and instrumentation and control. Specific design elements for resiliency and green design included the following:

Domestic Water Tank system instrumentation/controls include storage tank level measurement and control of inlet/outlet valves. The system also includes ultraviolet disinfection of all potable water pumped from the storage tank into the hospital.
Sewage Holding Tank is waterproof and its control system to provide automated response to an event using electrically actuated valves that direct the sewage from the gravity system to the holding tank. After the event, the system will turn the pumps on and transfer the sewage to the City’s system. A water spray system will automatically wash down the empty tank.
Cooling Tower Make-up Water Tank is waterproof and its control system design provides electrically actuated valves to receive rainwater from the building roof drains, condensate from the buildings, and potable water from the City’s water system. The Cooling Tower Make-up system instrumentation/controls include tank level measurement and control of inlet/outlet valves.
Cooling Tower Bleedwater Tank is waterproof and its control systems design provides electrically actuated valves to accept water from the cooling towers, recycles water to the cooling towers, and pumps it into the municipal sewer system. The Cooling Tower Bleedwater Tank system instrumentation/controls will include tank level measurement and control of inlet/outlet valves.
Fire Protection Water Tank is waterproof and its control system design provides electrically actuated valves to automate control of receipt of water from the CEP/Warehouse roof drains and the City’s water system.
The instrumentation and controls for all of the above elements are capable of communicating with the facility ‘s SCADA system.

PROGRESS: The new state-of-the-art facility opened on August 1, 2015, and the building is on track to receive LEED silver certification. For comprehensive information on the new hospital, please click here.

CMOM Requirements in NPDES General Permit, Winchester, NH

Tata & Howard assisted the Town of Winchester to meet the Collection, Management, Operation, and Maintenance (CMOM) requirements in the Town’s NPDES General Permit. The work consisted of the preparation of an outline for the Full Collection System Operation and Maintenance Plan, which included descriptions of staffing, management goals, information management, condition assessment, recent studies, and construction activities. Tata & Howard was also retained to prepare the Full Collection System Operation and Maintenance Manual, which included updating the outline, preparing a preventative maintenance and monitoring program, identifying sources of suspected overflows and back-ups, preparing a program for preventing I/I related effluent violations, and a public outreach program regarding I/I control.

Additionally, Tata & Howard has assisted the Town of Winchester with three phases of improvements to the Winchester Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF), I/I investigations, repair and rehabilitation of the sewer collection system to remove I/I, and securing funding to upgrade the WWTF and sewer collection system.

Pump Stations, Wastewater Treatment Facility, and Force Main Design and Construction, Troy and Jay, VT

Tata & Howard provided engineering services for the evaluation, design, and construction of approximately five miles of pressure and gravity sewer to serve the mountain resort community of Jay, Vermont. The design also included the upgrade to air release structures for 4.5 miles of force main and upgrade of two pump stations, one a progressive cavity station.

In addition, Tata & Howard provided engineering services including planning, evaluation, design, permitting and construction services for the Troy-Jay wastewater treatment facility upgrade. The new headworks facility included screening and aerated grit removal and influent design for the force main/pressure sewer from the two towns and mountain resort. The treatment process was an SBR facility with tertiary filtration and UV disinfection for phosphorus removal.

CMWP, CMOM, and I/I Evaluation, Milford, MA

Tata & Howard is providing all engineering support services related to the operation of and modifications to the Town’s wastewater collection, pumping, and treatment systems including preparation of a Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP) and preparation of a comprehensive Infiltration/Inflow (I/I) Evaluation. In addition, we are providing all ongoing support services related to the preparation of a Capacity, Management, Operations, and Maintenance (CMOM) program to meet US EPA’s regulations as well as technical assistance on the renewal of the Town’s NPDES permit. Included in this project is the preparation of the Town’s I/I control plan and all annual updates, preparation of the Town’s sewer use regulations and standard specifications for sewer construction, review of plans for all private developments, and review of all applications for industrial wastewater connection permits and pretreatment reports.

All services related to I/I identification, evaluation, and removal performed on the Milford’s sewer system, which consists of approximately 100 miles of interceptor sewers and mains, including an innovative sump pump removal program, has resulted in a dramatic reduction in extraneous flow to the system.

Energy Efficiency Study, Flagstaff, AZ

Tata & Howard conducted an energy efficiency study on the aeration blowers and pumps at the Rio and Wildcat Hill treatment plants. The testing showed that modifications to these systems have the potential to save the City approximately $250,000 in annual electrical costs and $445,000 in APS rebate funds for the modifications. Pumping systems had efficiencies as low as 20%. Pumps and blowers were oversized to meet peak and future demands but not efficient at low flows or off peak flows. Energy usage per million gallons treated of 2,170 KWH/MG with cogeneration and 2,804 KWH/MG at the Rio plant, with national average usage of 1,750 KWH/MG.

The project included the testing of blowers and pumps at two reclaimed water plants; review of all the wells, pressure reducing valves, boosters, and splits for energy savings; further evaluation of the turbo blowers and barscreens; and an evaluation of the replacement of the biogas piping for use in cogeneration.

Presentation:

Abstract: In Arizona, the Arizona Public Service (APS) estimates that water systems use 1/7th of all the power used in the State. From the APS testing program, it is estimated that 60 to 70 percent of all pumps have tested below industry standards or changes in operations are needed to operate more efficient. This presentation discusses the findings associated with energy studies completed for a small water supply system (Kachina Village Improvement District) and for a large system (City of Flagstaff, Arizona). The studies show that any water and/or wastewater system, regardless of size can benefit from an energy audit. The studies resulted in significant annual savings, potential rebates from APS to offset replacement costs, high return on investments, while promoting green initiatives.

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Five Year I/I Control Plan, Leicester, MA

Tata & Howard is working on a five year infiltration/inflow (I/I) control plan for Cherry Valley Sewer District (CVSD) in Leicester, Massachusetts. The program consists of flow monitoring, field investigation, and rehabilitation to the wastewater collection system.

In year one of the program, continuous flow, groundwater, and rainfall monitoring took place in the spring to collect data for program analysis. Simultaneous to the monitoring, manhole inspections were performed to assess I/I potential from manholes.

Year two consisted of a data analysis of the flow monitoring results of year one. The results of this data analysis from the I/I control plan provided guidance to moving forward with I/I investigation.

Field investigation commenced in year three of the program with smoke testing being completed throughout the collection system. To follow up with results from the manhole inspection, manhole rehabilitation was performed on manholes in which I/I was evident.

Year four focused on field investigations. A large section of the collection system was inspected via closed circuit television (CCTV). Follow up building inspections were also performed in areas where sump pump connections were suspected to be an issue. Year four also focused on system operation and maintenance. Documents were created for CVSD to focus on operations and maintenance of the system, and specifically for the manhole which houses the system flow meter into Worcester.

Year five is consisting of further CCTV investigation and a final report to summarize the project and provide recommendations on moving forward with investigations. Future work is anticipated to focus around GIS aspects of the system and working with CVSD to maintain records and reduce I/I by being proactive with investigation and maintenance.

Industrial Park Interceptor Sewer and Pump Station, Medway, MA

Tata & Howard conducted an alternatives analysis for the collection and disposal of the 80,000 gpd of wastewater anticipated from the Medway Industrial Park at full build out. The study included investigations of on site treatment and subsurface effluent disposal, intermunicipal connections, and/or a pump station with force main and gravity sewer to provide sewers to the Industrial Park. Upon completion of the study, Tata & Howard was retained to design a new sewer interceptor and pump station to service the industrial park.

Tata & Howard completed the design of 18,000 linear feet of 8-inch and 18-inch diameter gravity interceptor sewer and a dedicated pump station with force main to service the Medway Industrial Park. The pump station is a wet well mounted suction lift pump station with a capacity of 500 gallons per minute and it includes a dedicated standby generator with automatic transfer switch.

Main Wastewater Pump Station Rehabilitation, Ayer, MA

Tata & Howard prepared a wastewater treatment and disposal alternative analysis for the Town of Ayer. The analysis evaluated alternative plans for treatment and disposal of wastewater utilizing the Town’s existing wastewater treatment facility, a proposed regional wastewater treatment facility, or a combination of both facilities.

The alternative analysis estimated the wastewater flows and loadings, assessed the condition and capacity of the existing plant unit processes, and recommended improvements to meet the future service needs over the next 20 years. Tata & Howard designed upgrades to the existing main wastewater pump station which pumps the entire volume of wastewater generated in Ayer.

In addition to the overall rehabilitation of the pump station, Tata & Howard designed the addition of new pumping facilities to divert wastewater to the nearby regional wastewater treatment facility at the former Fort Devens, now managed by Mass Development. The main wastewater pump station has a peak capacity of 4.0 mgd and includes four wastewater pumps with a capacity of 2,800 gpm. The upgrades included new variable frequency drives for the pumps and new SCADA.

Onsite Wastewater Treatment Facility, Hopkinton, MA

Private Sector — Legacy Farms

Tata & Howard provided design and construction administration services associated with expansion of the Legacy Farms private wastewater treatment facility and effluent disposal areas.

The project assisted in moving from 115,000 gallons per day (gpd) to 190,000 gpd, which consists of the installation of additional membrane cassettes to increase the capacity from 115,000 gpd to 150,000 gpd, installation of additional membrane modules, installation of mechanical equipment fully redundant at a maximum daily flow of 190,000 gpd, permitting assistance with MassDEP, and the construction of two additional effluent disposal areas. Construction of the first of two new effluent disposal areas is underway, and T&H Project Engineer and Certified Soil Evaluator Matt Barry was recently on-site to conduct a perc test for the second effluent disposal area.

Original Project

Tata & Howard provided soil investigation and evaluation, preliminary design, and design services for an onsite wastewater treatment facility and disposal system to serve the proposed Legacy Farms mixed-use development in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.

The Legacy Farms development includes a retail village, a commercial district, a variety of residential spaces (apartments, town homes, single-family homes, and multi-family structures) on approximately 733 acres currently used for nursery and agricultural uses. Approximately 940 new dwellings, 450,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, and 500 acres of restored open space will be made available by the project.

Tata & Howard’s services have included development of treatment flows for the full, built-out project, as well as selection and design of the wastewater pumping treatment and disposal systems that were compatible for the site configuration and soils, and that would provide the level of treatment required by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). The challenge was satisfied by the design for a phased approach to the construction of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatment system, which provides a high level of treatment.

The project includes three submersible pump stations that serve the wastewater treatment facility (influent, recirculation, and effluent disposal) and two submersible pump stations within the development itself.

Disposal of treated effluent at the Legacy Farms site will be managed by a combination of conventional leaching systems and an innovative use of drip irrigation, the first large-scale application of drip irrigation for disposal of treated effluent in the State of Massachusetts.

The success of this project was related to excellent communication between Tata & Howard and the client, and a strong working relationship with MassDEP.

Project Category: Wastewater