Jefferson County Five Mile Creek Water Reclamation Facility Birmingham
FACILITY BASIC INFORMATION
1. INTRODUCTION
The Five Mile Creek Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) serves as a cornerstone of wastewater infrastructure for the northern metropolitan area of Birmingham, Alabama. Operated by the Jefferson County Environmental Services Department (JCESD), this 20-MGD facility plays a critical role in protecting the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River basin, one of the state’s most biodiverse and recreationally significant watersheds.
Originally commissioned to support the post-war expansion of Jefferson County’s industrial and residential corridors, the facility has evolved into a modern advanced secondary treatment plant. It operates within one of the most complex regulatory environments in the Southeast, following Jefferson County’s comprehensive rehabilitation of its sewer system under a federal consent decree. Today, the Five Mile Creek WRF utilizes biological nutrient removal processes and ultraviolet disinfection to ensure high-quality effluent, managing flows from a service area that includes the communities of Graysville, Brookside, Fultondale, and Gardendale. The facility represents a significant capital asset in the county’s portfolio, integrating robust SCADA architecture and energy-efficient treatment technologies.
2. FACILITY OVERVIEW
A. Service Area & Coverage
The Five Mile Creek WRF services a substantial portion of the “North Jefferson” sewer shed. The collection system feeding the plant is characterized by complex topography, requiring an extensive network of gravity interceptors and lift stations to transport flow through the Appalachian foothills terrain. The service area is a mix of mature residential neighborhoods, commercial corridors along I-65 and US-31, and light industrial zones.
- Municipalities Served: City of Graysville, City of Fultondale, City of Gardendale, Town of Brookside, and unincorporated Forestdale.
- Collection System: The Five Mile Creek interceptor system runs roughly parallel to the creek, acting as the primary trunk line receiving flow from collector sewers.
B. Operational Capacity
The facility is designed to handle significant variations in hydraulic loading, a necessity given the region’s intense precipitation events and legacy issues with Inflow and Infiltration (I/I) in the collection system.
- Design Average Flow: 20.0 MGD
- Peak Hourly Flow: ~60.0 MGD
- Average Daily Flow: Approximately 8.0 – 12.0 MGD (Dry weather)
The plant operates with sufficient redundancy to manage peak wet weather flows, utilizing equalization strategies and high-rate treatment modes when necessary to prevent sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and bypasses.
C. Discharge & Compliance
Treated effluent is discharged into Five Mile Creek. Because this creek is a direct tributary to the Locust Fork—a major recreational river—the NPDES permit (AL0023027) imposes strict limits on Oxygen Demand (CBOD), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Ammonia-Nitrogen (NH3-N), and E. coli bacteria. The facility consistently achieves compliance rates exceeding 99%, utilizing advanced process controls to adjust to seasonal temperature changes that affect biological treatment efficacy.
3. TREATMENT PROCESS
A. Preliminary Treatment
Raw wastewater enters the headworks facility where it undergoes rigorous physical separation to protect downstream equipment.
- Screening: Mechanical multi-rake bar screens remove large debris, rags, and plastics. Screenings are washed, compacted, and conveyed to dumpsters for landfill disposal.
- Grit Removal: The facility utilizes vortex grit chambers to separate inorganic solids (sand, gravel, coffee grounds) through centrifugal force. Removed grit is classified and dewatered before disposal to reduce abrasive wear on pumps and sludge handling equipment.
B. Primary Treatment
Flow enters primary clarifiers where gravity settling removes approximately 60% of suspended solids and 30% of BOD. The primary sludge is pumped to the solids handling complex, while the primary effluent flows to the biological treatment stage. The primary clarifiers also serve as the location for scum removal (grease and oils).
C. Secondary Treatment (Activated Sludge)
The core of the Five Mile Creek WRF is its suspended growth biological treatment system.
- Aeration Basins: The facility employs an activated sludge process configured for biological nutrient removal (BNR). Large rectangular basins are equipped with fine-bubble diffused aeration systems to maximize oxygen transfer efficiency.
- Process Control: Blowers are controlled via Dissolved Oxygen (DO) probes and Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) to match air supply with biological demand, optimizing energy consumption.
- Nutrient Removal: The basin configuration includes anoxic zones to facilitate denitrification, reducing total nitrogen levels in the effluent to meet water quality standards and prevent eutrophication in the receiving stream.
- Secondary Clarification: Mixed liquor flows to circular secondary clarifiers where biological floc settles. Return Activated Sludge (RAS) is pumped back to the aeration basins to maintain biomass population, while Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) is diverted to solids processing.
D. Disinfection
Historically a chlorination/dechlorination facility, Five Mile Creek WRF has been upgraded to Ultraviolet (UV) Disinfection. This modernization eliminates the risks associated with storing hazardous chlorine gas and prevents the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in the receiving water. The UV system consists of banks of lamps submerged in channels; as effluent passes the lamps, UV light alters the DNA of bacteria and viruses, rendering them unable to reproduce.
E. Solids Handling
Sludge processing is a critical operational component given the volume of solids generated.
- Thickening: WAS is thickened (typically via Gravity Belt Thickeners or Rotary Drum Thickeners) to reduce hydraulic volume.
- Digestion: The facility utilizes anaerobic digesters to stabilize the sludge, reduce volatile solids, and generate biogas. The digestion process reduces pathogen counts and vector attraction.
- Dewatering: Digested sludge is dewatered using high-performance belt filter presses or centrifuges to produce a cake suitable for transport.
- Disposal: The dewatered biosolids are transported to a sanitary landfill or utilized in permitted land application programs, depending on current county contracts and regulatory classification.
4. INFRASTRUCTURE & FACILITIES
A. SCADA and Automation
The JCESD operates a centralized System Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) network. Five Mile Creek is fully integrated into this system, allowing operators to monitor tank levels, dissolved oxygen, flow rates, and equipment status in real-time. The system utilizes Wonderware/AVEVA interfaces, providing trending data that is essential for compliance reporting and process optimization.
B. Energy Management
As one of the county’s major energy consumers, the facility has implemented several efficiency measures. The shift to fine-bubble aeration and the installation of turbo blowers or VFD-controlled multistage centrifugal blowers represents a significant reduction in electrical demand compared to legacy mechanical surface aerators.
C. Odor Control
Situated near residential areas, odor control is a priority. The headworks and primary treatment areas typically utilize chemical scrubbers (wet scrubbers using hypochlorite and caustic) or activated carbon adsorption units to treat foul air captured from covered process tanks.
5. RECENT UPGRADES & MAJOR PROJECTS
Asset Management & Rehabilitation Program (Ongoing)
Jefferson County has been under a long-term consent decree necessitating billions in system-wide investment. Five Mile Creek has benefited from this through continuous rehabilitation.
Key Project: UV Disinfection & Headworks Improvements
- Timeline: Completed in phases over the last decade.
- Scope: Replacement of gaseous chlorine systems with UV disinfection to improve safety and environmental performance. Rehabilitation of mechanical bar screens and grit removal systems to handle higher grit loads associated with wet weather events.
- Driver: Regulatory compliance (effluent limits), operator safety, and aging infrastructure replacement.
Collection System Remediation
While not inside the fence line, the Five Mile Creek interceptor system has seen extensive Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) lining projects. By reducing Inflow and Infiltration (I/I) in the collection system, the hydraulic peaking factor at the plant is stabilized, allowing for more consistent biological treatment during storm events.
6. REGULATORY COMPLIANCE & ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
A. Permit Requirements
The facility operates under an NPDES permit issued by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). The permit reflects the sensitive nature of the Black Warrior River basin.
- CBOD5: Monthly average limits typically ≤ 10-15 mg/L (seasonal variation).
- TSS: Monthly average limits typically ≤ 30 mg/L.
- Ammonia (NH3-N): Strict limits (often < 2.0 mg/L in summer) to prevent toxicity to aquatic life.
- Dissolved Oxygen (DO): Effluent must maintain a minimum DO level (typically 5.0 – 6.0 mg/L) to support stream health.
B. Compliance History
The Five Mile Creek WRF has maintained a strong record of compliance in recent years. Occasional challenges have historically been related to extreme wet weather events exceeding hydraulic capacity, but ongoing collection system repairs and plant equalization improvements have mitigated these issues. The facility submits Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) monthly to ADEM.
7. OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
The facility is staffed by ADEM-certified wastewater treatment operators. Jefferson County maintains a rigorous training program, requiring operators to advance through Grade I to Grade IV certifications. The staff includes:
- Plant Superintendent and Operations Supervisors
- Maintenance Mechanics and Electricians
- Laboratory Technicians (performing daily process control testing)
- Instrument Technicians (SCADA and sensor maintenance)
The onsite laboratory performs process control tests (settleability, microscopy, pH), while compliance samples are typically analyzed by JCESD’s central certified laboratory to ensure data integrity.
8. CHALLENGES & FUTURE PLANNING
A. Wet Weather Management
The primary engineering challenge for Five Mile Creek remains the management of peak flows during Alabama’s intense storm seasons. While the plant capacity is 20 MGD, peak flows can surge significantly higher. Future planning focuses on further collection system tightening and potentially expanding equalization basin capacity.
B. Aging Infrastructure
Like many US facilities, components of the plant dating back to the 1970s and 80s require systematic replacement. The county utilizes a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) to prioritize asset replacement based on criticality and risk of failure.
C. Nutrient Regulations
Regulators are increasingly focused on total nitrogen and phosphorus limits. While the facility currently performs nitrification/denitrification, future permit cycles may require tighter phosphorus limits, potentially necessitating chemical precipitation upgrades (alum/ferric addition) or tertiary filtration.
9. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS SUMMARY
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Facility Type | Advanced Secondary Treatment (Activated Sludge) |
| Design Capacity | 20.0 MGD |
| Peak Hydraulic Capacity | 60.0 MGD |
| Biological Process | Activated Sludge with BNR capability |
| Disinfection | Ultraviolet (UV) Irradiation |
| Solids Stabilization | Anaerobic Digestion |
| Dewatering | Mechanical Dewatering (Belt Press/Centrifuge) |
| Receiving Water | Five Mile Creek |
| Watershed | Locust Fork / Black Warrior River |
| NPDES Permit | AL0023027 |
| Operating Authority | Jefferson County Environmental Services |
10. RELATED FACILITIES
The Five Mile Creek WRF is part of a regional network operated by Jefferson County. Engineers and operators may also be interested in:
- Village Creek WRF: The largest plant in the system (60 MGD), utilizing peak flow equalization and advanced treatment.
- Valley Creek WRF: Serving the southern/western portions of the metro area.
- Turkey Creek WRF: A smaller neighboring facility also discharging into the Locust Fork watershed.
11. FAQ SECTION
Technical Questions
Q: Does Five Mile Creek WRF perform biological nutrient removal (BNR)?
A: Yes, the activated sludge process is configured to achieve nitrification and partial denitrification to reduce ammonia and nitrogen levels in the effluent.
Q: How are biosolids managed at the facility?
A: Solids are anaerobically digested, dewatered, and typically transported to landfills or approved land application sites in accordance with EPA 503 regulations.
Q: What is the peak peaking factor for the plant?
A: The plant is designed with a peaking factor of 3.0 (60 MGD peak / 20 MGD average) to accommodate wet weather flows.
Public Interest Questions
Q: Who do I call for sewer emergencies in this area?
A: Residents should contact the Jefferson County Environmental Services Department 24-hour emergency line for sewer backups or overflows.
Q: Is the water discharged into Five Mile Creek clean?
A: Yes, the effluent is treated to high standards that support aquatic life. However, it is not treated to drinking water standards, and swimming directly at the outfall is generally discouraged.
Q: Does the plant generate its own power?
A: While anaerobic digestion produces biogas, it is typically used to heat the digesters (maintaining mesophilic temperatures) rather than for large-scale electrical cogeneration at this specific site size.