Tag: wastewater treatment

Location: Newark, Essex County, New JerseyOperating Authority: Passaic Valley Sewerage CommissionDesign Capacity: 330 MGD (Average) / 720 MGD (Peak)Service Area: 48 Municipalities across 5 Counties 1. INTRODUCTION The Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC) Newark Bay Treatment Plant is one of the largest wastewater treatment facilities in the United States and the largest in the Northeast. […]

1. Introduction In the municipal and industrial water and wastewater sectors, gas detection is not merely an ancillary safety function; it is a critical operational imperative mandated by rigorous regulatory frameworks and necessitated by the inherent chemistry of the treatment process. The decomposition of organic matter, chemical dosing requirements, and the physical constraints of underground […]

Introduction One of the most frequent oversight areas in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) design is the “last mile” of the solids handling process: moving dewatered cake from the centrifuge, belt press, or screw press to its final load-out point. Engineers often spend months optimizing the dewatering device itself, only to treat the conveyance system as […]

INTRODUCTION Grit removal efficiency is often the silent variable that dictates the lifespan of downstream biosolids equipment, clarifier drives, and digesters. While the civil design of grit chambers (vortex vs. detritor vs. aerated) garners significant attention during the design phase, the mechanism for extracting that captured grit—the grit pump—is the common failure point. Engineers often […]

Introduction The Southerly Wastewater Treatment Center (Southerly) stands as the largest of the three wastewater treatment facilities operated by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD). Located in the Village of Cuyahoga Heights, this critical infrastructure asset provides advanced wastewater treatment for a service area covering more than 600,000 residents across the Greater Cleveland area. […]

Introduction In the hierarchy of wastewater treatment unit processes, headworks screening is arguably the most critical line of defense. A failure here does not merely reduce effluent quality; it cascades downstream, fouling pumps, clogging aeration diffusers, and wreaking havoc on membrane bioreactors (MBRs). For municipal and consulting engineers, the selection process often narrows down to […]

FACILITY BASIC INFORMATION Official Designation: South Water Reclamation Plant (Regional Facility) Location: McAllen, Hidalgo County, Texas Operating Authority: McAllen Public Utility (MPU) Design Capacity: 10.0 MGD (Expanded capability to 15 MGD pending) Current Average Flow: 8.5 MGD Population Served: ~145,000 (Regional Service Area) Receiving Water Body: Floodway via discharge canal to Laguna Madre TPDES Permit […]

Introduction to Flocculation Systems For municipal and industrial treatment plant engineers, the flocculation basin is often where the battle for water quality is won or lost. While the chemical dosing pumps get the attention for “precision,” the physical flocculators determine whether those chemicals actually perform. A startling industry reality is that poor mixing energy distribution […]

Introduction One of the most persistent operational headaches in modern wastewater treatment is the management of rags, wipes, and non-dispersibles. For municipal engineers and plant superintendents, the failure of headworks equipment does not just mean manual cleaning; it results in deragging pumps downstream, compromised biological processes, and significant unscheduled overtime. In the U.S. market, two […]

INTRODUCTION One of the most persistent operational headaches in modern wastewater treatment is the management of non-dispersibles—specifically wipes, rags, and plastics. For municipal design engineers and plant superintendents, the failure to effectively manage these solids at the headworks or pump station results in “ragging,” a phenomenon that costs utilities millions annually in deragging labor, reduced […]