By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • 0 Comments

Infrastructure Week, Day 4: Wastewater

Wastewater is the dirty little secret no one likes to talk about. Nevertheless, managing our nation's wastewater is of the utmost importance.

No infrastructure plan is complete without wastewater management. It can impact the health of residents, strengthen or weaken the appeal of a locality, and have an effect on the environment.

As the nation’s population continues to grow, wastewater management has become increasingly crucial. Over the next 20 years, the U.S. is expected to gain more than 56 million wastewater treatment system users. This indicates the need for wastewater infrastructure improvements.

About 14,748 wastewater treatment plants currently serve nearly 240 million Americans, or 76% of the U.S. population. In its current state, our wastewater infrastructure suffers from 23,000 to 75,000 sanitary sewer overflow events every year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These facts demonstrate the need for increased wastewater infrastructure funding.

At KC Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. (KC), our wastewater treatment group has designed, constructed, and helped to operate over 70 facilities. We work with government, industrial, and private clients to meet a full range of wastewater related needs. We approach each project with innovative and creative expertise to deliver comprehensive engineering services that solve the most intricate wastewater challenges from concept through design, construction, and operation.

With projects like the Tri-Municipal Sewer Commission Compost Permit Renewal, Wallkill Raw Sewage Pump Replacement, and Wappingers Falls Sanitary Sewer Pipe TV Inspections, KC has helped to increase capacity and improve the performance of existing treatment facilities. KC strives to meet strict water discharge policies, conserve energy, and reduce environmental impact.

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • 0 Comments

The Dirty Truth Behind the Sewer System

As a child, did you ever wonder where your goldfish went after you flushed him? Did you imagine him soaring off to sea through a single pipe that connected your toilet to the ocean? Probably.

Is that what really happened to him? Probably not. But don’t get too upset, the actual engineering behind wastewater and sewer systems is pretty interesting. In fact, your goldfish probably went on a wild ride! Whenever water or items go down the drain, they are sent through a pipe in the ground to the local sewer system. From there, gravity sends the wastewater down the sewage line towards the treatment plant.

However, most locations aren’t lucky enough to have a plant located at the bottom of a mountain. This is where the real engineering kicks in. Once the pipes get too deep, the wastewater must be pumped closer to the surface so that it can begin its descent again. These pumping stations are part of a force main sewer that pressurizes the water so that it can flow against gravity to the treatment plant at the other end.

Seems simple enough, but sometimes the lines will get clogged by miscellaneous items (like your goldfish) or rags that prevent the water from flowing. In these cases, a pig is sent from the beginning of the line to the end in order to remove the blockage. The pig is a flexible cylinder that moves through the pipes and clears any buildup or blockage it encounters. When the pig emerges from the other end, it brings all the waste with it. Check out this video titled “Sewer Wars” for an out-of-this-world description of the process.

When the water finally arrives at the treatment plant, chemicals and bacteria are used to cleanse the dirty water so that it can be sent back into the environment. After that, the cycle begins all over again.

Engineers use their skills to create complex systems that aid in the day-to-day process so seamlessly that most people don’t even know about them. But now that you do, maybe next time you’ll bring your fishy friend to the ocean yourself. That may be the one thing engineering can’t help you with.

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • 0 Comments

TMSC Sewer Segment Repairs Project

This project consisted of the excavation and removal of an 18-inch PVC sewer line in preparation for the installation of a new 171-foot long, 18-inch PVC sewer line. In addition to the installation of the new line, repairs in other segments of the sewer pipes included removal of root intrusions, sewer main cleaning, air testing, and television inspection.

Additional services included the installation of a permanent gravel access road; the restoration of disturbed areas that were not covered by gravel road, mulch, and seed; and the addition of a manhole riser to lift a segment of the sewer.

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • 0 Comments

Town of Wallkill Sludge Dewatering Project

The existing dewatering equipment at the Wallkill Wastewater Treatment Plant was 26 years old and in need of replacement. The equipment is operated seven days per week for six hours per day. Current operators were unable to produce a sludge cake with greater than 13% solids, resulting in very high disposal costs.

An evaluation was performed to determine the most effective means of dewatering. Adjustments to MLSS and volatile solids of sludge were made and sludge was processed by multiple vendors utilizing centrifuge, screw press, and belt press equipment. Based on the study, KC recommended installation of the new belt press.

KC replaced the existing two-step dewatering system with a one-step dewatering system. The existing system pumped the sludge from a holding tank with polymer added and sent it to the gravity belt thickener; then it was pumped to a second holding tank. From the second holding tank, the sludge was pumped with polymer added to the belt press. The sludge was finally deposited into the dump trailer below.

The new system pumps sludge from either holding tank with polymer added to the combination gravity / belt press unit to a conveyor system to be deposited in the dump trailer. The existing polymer system, which consists of four 1,000 gallon mixing tanks with polymer, was replaced with two small polymer mixing systems, reducing the start time of the dewatering process. The existing polymer pumps were no longer needed and only two sludge pumps were required. The new system is capable of dewatering the same amount of sludge in half the amount of time as the old system with more consistent output. The new equipment produces a sludge cake with up to 18% solids, reducing disposed costs by up to $100,000 annual of current rates.

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • 0 Comments

Sludge Dewatering

The existing dewatering equipment at the Wallkill Wastewater Treatment Plant was 26 years old and in need of replacement. The equipment is operated seven days per week for six hours per day. Operators were unable to produce a sludge cake with greater than 13% solids, resulting in very high disposal costs.

An evaluation was performed to determine the most effective means of dewatering. Adjustments to MLSS and volatile solids of sludge were made and sludge was processed by multiple vendors utilizing centrifuge, screw press, and belt press equipment. Based on the evaluation, KC recommended installation of a new belt press.

KC will replace the existing two-step dewatering system with a one-step dewatering system. The existing system pumps the sludge from a holding tank with polymer added and sends it to the gravity belt thickener; then it is pumped to a second holding tank. From the second holding tank, the sludge is pumped with polymer added to the belt press. The sludge is finally deposited into the dump trailer below.

The new system will pump sludge from either holding tank with polymer added to the combination gravity/belt press unit to a conveyor system to be deposited in the dump trailer. The existing polymer system, which consists of four 1,000 gallon mixing tanks with polymer, will be replaced with two small polymer mixing systems, reducing time to start up the dewatering process. The existing polymer pumps will no longer be needed and only two instead of four sludge pumps will be required. The new system will be capable of dewatering the same amount of sludge in half the amount of time as the old system with more consistent output. The new equipment is projected to produce a sludge cake with up to 18% solids, reducing disposed costs by up to $100,000 annual of current rates.