Water Treatment Plant in North Chelmsford, MA

Tata & Howard completed a test evaluation and design report for the Bomil Well site comparing ultrafiltration using ozone and chlorine dioxide as oxidants. The report also evaluated several coagulant aids to treat the organic color in the water. The design report became the basis for the 2.5 mgd water treatment facility designed by Tata & Howard. The facility uses membrane filtration with chlorine dioxide for treatment.  Construction administration was also provided by Tata & Howard.

Iron and Manganese Removal Using Greensand Pressure Filtration


Tata & Howard conducted a Water Quality Study that reviewed the Town of North Attleboro, Massachusett’s corrosion control practices, and evaluated changes in quality, specifically the increased levels of iron and manganese. The manganese concentrations in these wells had consistently increased during the past decade. The pilot treatment study for manganese removal with greensand pressure filtration was conducted at the Kelley Wells 1 and 2 and was a success. Tata & Howard completed the design of the 2.0 mgd capacity treatment facility and provided engineering services during the construction of the facility.

The design included the installation of a SCADA system for monitoring and control of the treatment facility and two well pump stations.  A second operator work station was installed at the remote Water Department office which allowed both monitoring and control of the treatment facilities from this remote site.  In addition, the operator work station was linked to the existing Autocon SCADA system which continued to monitor and control the remaining water system pumping stations and storage tanks and provide tank level signals for the establishment of start/stop setpoint controls for the new treatment facility and associated wells.

 

 

 

 

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Waterbury, CT Great Brook Stormwater Culvert

Tata & Howard provided engineering services for design, preparation of a hydrologic and hydraulic report, two easement maps, design submittals for DOT review, construction administration, and resident observation for the rehabilitation of the Great Brook Stormwater Culvert under Cherry Street in Waterbury, CT. The project provided for the replacement of about 65 linear feet of the existing structurally deficient top to the Great Brook Stormwater Culvert under Cherry Street and adjacent private properties.

The existing steel beams, corrugated metal arches, and bituminous concrete or concrete slabs forming the top of the culvert were removed and precast concrete beams were placed on elastomeric bearing pads to form the replacement culvert top. Additionally, about 50 linear feet of the existing eroded cobblestone bottom were removed to a minimum depth of 12 inches and replaced with reinforced cast in place concrete.

Further, approximately 32 linear feet of undermined walls (16 linear feet on the west side and 16 linear feet on the east side) were excavated, with cast in place concrete placed below the existing culvert masonry walls. The interior culvert masonry walls within the project limits were also repointed. The work required the reconstruction of 30 feet of Cherry Street, the adjacent sidewalks, and approximately 750 square feet of a private gravel parking lot property. During construction, a water control system capable of conveying normal flow capacity of the Great Brook Stormwater Culvert at Cherry Street was maintained.

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Trinity Ave. Chemical Feed Pump Station, Grafton, MA

Tata & Howard provided engineering services for permitting, design, and bidding of the 1.3 mgd chemical injection Trinity Avenue Pump Station at the Trinity Avenue Wellfield.  The project included an evaluation of alternatives for the access road including installation of a bridge or an open bottomed culvert; assistance with the preparation of permanent easements for the installation of utilities and roadway to the well site; preparation and submittal of an NOI to the Grafton Conservation Commission.  The design included an access road, bailey bridge with abutments, double wythe block building, interior concrete painted block with wood truss roof and asphaltic shingles, installation of three (3) submersible pumps and pitless adaptors, approximately 1,800 linear feet of 6-inch and 12-inch water main, emergency liquid propane tanks and generator, instrumentation and controls, a SCADA system for the pump station and wells, and a 24-inch transmission main for 4-log removal. Security included chain link fence, gates, locks, intrusion alarms, and lighting.  Tata & Howard also assisted Owner with the coordination of the installation of three phase power to site.  Chemical feed at the station includes KOH for pH adjustment and chlorine gas for disinfection.  Standby power was included in an outdoor enclosure. The project is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

Manganese Filtration Using Biological Pressure Filtration

The Home Farm Water Treatment Plant (WTP) in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts was originally constructed in 1989. Although the WTP is still fully functional, its treatment capabilities are limited to chemical addition and air strippers for VOC removal, and the plant is capable of treating 6.0 million gallons per day (mgd). Manganese is present at all Home Farm wells, with widely varying levels from a low 0.03 parts per million (ppm) to a high 0.7 ppm. The existing treatment plant sequesters manganese, but does not have the ability to remove it from finished water.

Pilot test setup

Three treatment methodologies were piloted. The first two were greensand and pyrolucite, both commonly implemented catalytic media options for removing manganese and iron. The third was Mangazur®, a new technology. Mangazur® filter media contains the microscopic organism leptothrix ochracea, which consumes manganese and is naturally occurring in groundwater. Through consumption, the microbes oxidize the manganese to a state where it can precipitate onto the media. Unlike other media, Mangazur® does not require regeneration due to the continuous growth of microbes within the filter. Mangazur® technology also does not require chemical addition for pre-oxidation, minimizing the amount of chemical required for the plant.

Pilot testing for the biological treatment was performed over five one-week trials. Test parameters included a long shut-down on the filters, adding pre-oxidant, and adjusting pH or dissolved oxygen. The results of the testing indicated that although the Mangazur® does require a correct dissolved oxygen level and pH, it does not require a pre-oxidant, making the only chemical addition necessary for pretreatment potassium hydroxide for pH adjustment. Filter backwash efficiency is also a major benefit of the Mangazur® technology for the Home Farm application. With loading rates twice that of traditional catalytic media and filter runs exceeding 96 hours; the Town would only need to backwash the four filters once every four days rather than eight filters every day, saving a significant amount of water. The backwash flow rate and duration are also significantly lower for Mangazur® filters than for other traditional filter options. The results of the pilot tests indicated that all technologies were viable options to reduce manganese levels below 0.05 ppm; however, the biological treatment was the most efficient and attractive option.

Ground breaking on the new WTP took place in July 2017.

Initially, the Town was only considering constructing filters along with the required backwash holding tanks in a new building and utilizing the chemical feed systems in the existing treatment facility. However, as the project progressed it was determined that it would be more cost effective to replace the existing aging air strippers rather than to continue to rehabilitate them, and eliminate the need to re-pipe the flow since the existing strippers added too much dissolved oxygen prior to the biological units. Since the existing chemical feed equipment in the plant is aging and the existing building itself was also in need of rehabilitation, the decision was made to construct an entirely new standalone 7.0 mgd facility. The new facility also contains three deep bubble aerators for VOC removal.

While Mangazur® technology has been approved in one other municipality in Massachusetts, there are few treatment plants in the northeast using this technology, and of those treatment plants, none have a design capacity above 5.0 mgd.  Home Farm has a much higher design capacity and will be the largest Mangazur® water treatment plant in the northeast once completed.  The Mangazur® filters at Home Farm will have the second highest design capacity in the country, after a 26.0 mgd treatment plant in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.


 

 

You may download the complete whitepaper by clicking here.

 

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Water Treatment Facility, Water Mains, and River Crossing Horizontal Directional Drilling

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Tata & Howard provided design and construction services for the construction of a 1.44 mgd water treatment facility. The water treatment facility consists of a concrete block masonry building housing filtration equipment, a laboratory and office space, and associated piping, instrumentation and controls. Building components including HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services were incorporated in the facility. Other work included, but is not necessarily limited to, site work, exterior piping systems, and electrical work at an existing well pump station.

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Tata & Howard also provided design and construction services for the installation of approximately 5,000 linear feet of new 12-inch high-density polyethylene (HDPE) water main (two parallel pipes at 2,500 linear feet, each) via directional drilling beneath the Pemigewasset River, connecting the City’s Franklin Falls Well Site and the City’s Acme Well Site.

Tata & Howard provided design and construction services for the installation of approximately 2,655 linear feet of 12-inch diameter Class 52 ductile iron water main, water services, and associated valves, fittings, and hydrants on Hill Road (New Hampshire Route 3A) and a service road connecting Hill Road to the City’s Acme Well site; approximately 4,000 linear feet of 12-inch water main, water services, and associated valves, fittings, and hydrants on Lawndale Avenue, Webster Lake Road, and Kimball Street; approximately 3,200 linear feet along Lawndale Avenue; 1,200 linear feet along Webster Lake Road; and 600 linear feet along Kimball Street.  The work also included pavement restoration on Lawndale Avenue, Webster Lake Road, and Kimball Street.

The project was funded by NHDES and the USDA Rural Development office.

Bellemont, AZ Water Treatment

Tata & Howard provided general engineering services to Bellemont Water System associated with responding to Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) violations and preparing an Application for the Groundwater Compliance 4-Log Removal of Viruses. Randall Pellatz, P.E., from Tata & Howard’s Flagstaff office, served as Project Manager.

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Located west of Flagstaff in the unincorporated community of Bellemont, the water system served approximately 100 customers — the majority of whom receive water hauled by truck to cisterns at their homes — as well as a few businesses, including a strip mall. The system also provides some fire protection. After the system repeatedly tested positive for E. coli bacteria and total coliform bacteria, a boil water notice was issued in August of 2012. In June of 2013, ADEQ issued a compliance order that required the Bellemont Water System to notify all customers of the boil water advisory and to install a treatment system that satisfactorily removes bacteria and viruses from the water. The source of the contamination was unknown.

Tata & Howard’s scope of services included providing a response to ADEQ’s compliance order and developing a preliminary plan of action for maintaining 4-Log Removal of Viruses for the Bellemont Water System. In addition, a preliminary schematic plan for a chlorination system was developed to provide a residual chlorine concentration throughout the Bellemont Water System. Tata & Howard also provided design services for the proposed disinfection system and completed an assessment of the existing conditions of the Bellemont Water System, including recommendations, in a letter report.

The system’s operator, Jeremy McCabe, installed the disinfection system, and in June of 2016, the Bellemont Water System underwent their final field inspection from ADEQ for chlorine residual and 4-log removal. They passed easily, and ADEQ was pleased to remove the boil water requirement. Mr. McCabe commented on how well the system now operates, and the system’s customers have expressed how happy they are to once again have safe, clean water.

Raw Water Transmission Main Replacement in Stamford, CT

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Owner: Aquarion Water Company, Shelton, Connecticut

Tata & Howard provided professional engineering services for surveys and mapping; subsurface explorations; preliminary and final design; bidding; and construction phase services, including resident project representation, for the partial replacement of Laurel Reservoir Raw Water Transmission Main located on Lakeside Drive in Stamford, CT. The main was replaced after a history of multiple pipe failures.

This project included replacing approximately 3,670 feet of an existing 13,540 feet of 42-inch diameter prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) used to transfer raw water by gravity from Laurel Reservoir to the Stamford Water Treatment Plant (WTP). The pipe was replaced with 48-inch Class 52 ductile iron pipe.  Three existing 8-inch blowoffs and two existing 4-inch diameter automatic air release valves in this section of main were replaced and upsized with new 12-inch diameter blowoffs and 12-inch diameter valves. The main was encased in concrete at three culvert crossings. Additionally, two 24-inch diameter access openings were installed in the existing 42-inch diameter main that was not being replaced to allow for inspections while the pipe was drained and out of service.  The project also included replacement of four existing automatic air release valves on the existing 42-inch diameter PCCP that was to remain in service.

Interceptor Sewer, Danbury, CT

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Jacking a 48-inch steel casing under I-84 in Danbury, CT

The Oakland Avenue sanitary sewer project consisted of jacking a 48-inch steel casing pipe through the Interstate-84 embankment in Danbury, CT and installing a new 24-inch sanitary sewer to replace the existing 16-inch sewer that is undersized. The project alleviated the restriction that is causing sewer overflows. Services included surveys and mapping, review of easements, review and updating of original design, preparation of plans and specifications, bidding, construction administration, and resident observation. The new sewer line installation will complete an interceptor project that was constructed in 1994.

Construction was completed in 2016.

Water Distribution System Evaluation and Tank Design, Paxton, MA

The new tank was completed in 2015
The new tank was completed in 2016.

Town of Paxton, MA

Tata & Howard provided engineering services for a comprehensive water distribution system evaluation and study. The work included development of a hydraulic model using WaterCad software. The plan included fire flow tests, review of the water supply agreement with the City of Worcester, preparation of projected water demands based on historical use and population trends, and evaluation of storage. The plan also included an evaluation of potential water supply sources within Town boundaries.

This project included an evaluation of the system prior to design of the tank to determine the best solution.  Work included calibrating the model under extended period simulation (EPS).  The hydraulic model was used to determine the best hydraulic gradeline elevation of the system to reduce the storage surplus.  Additionally, the model was used to track the chlorine residual from the Worcester Pump Station to the extremities.  Jar testing was completed to determine the chlorine demand in the water supply while water quality testing results assisted with determining the chlorine demand in the piping system.  The model was used to simulate the chlorine degradation.  Improvements were input into the hydraulic model and the effects on the chlorine residual in the extremities reported.  Improvements such as an elevated tank at Maple Street with a total usable volume, reduction in hydraulic gradeline elevation, and cleaning and lining water mains were evaluated.  The analysis determined that a new tank at Maple Street is necessary based on water quality and cost.

Tata & Howard provided assistance with the preparation and submittal of a Project Evaluation Form to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for the construction of a new elevated tank with a capacity of 0.2 million gallons. The new tank reduced the water age in the system by replacing the deteriorating ground level tank. Tata & Howard provided construction administration and resident observation services for the new tank, which was completed in 2016.


Whitepaper:

ABSTRACT: In 2012, the Town of Paxton, MA was experiencing significantly reduced chlorine residuals in the extremities of the system along with an aging water tank that required extensive rehabilitation. As a result, the Paxton Department of Public Works (DPW) determined the need to create an extended period simulation (EPS) hydraulic model to evaluate the water age and water quality in the distribution system. The study examined the residual chlorine concentrations and water age throughout the distribution system and presented various options to help mitigate these issues, including replacing the aging tank and adding a chlorine booster pump station at the existing site. Construction of the new tank and pump station was completed in the summer of 2016.  Read the complete whitepaper by clicking below:

To download “Town of Paxton, Massachusetts Distribution System  Evaluation and Improvements” whitepaper instantly, simply fill out the form below: