In order to better treat its 85 percent commercial wastewater influent and accommodate further industrial growth in the area, the City of Morton is following through on an update of its 3.15 MGD sequencing batch reactor wastewater treatment plant utilizing a plan devised by WGK, Inc. In Phase One of the long-term plan, obsolete, high-maintenance equipment was replaced with modern, energy-efficient components that allowed the project to take advantage of 20 percent savings offered through SRF “green” funding, and energy savings at the plant are now expected to cover the costs of the monthly loan premium. In Phase Two, capacity will be expanded to 5 MGD with a third sequencing batch reactor.
- Replacement of mechanical screen
- Replacement of fine bubble diffuser sheaths
- Replacement of flash mixer
- Replacement of lime feed system
- Replacement of sequencing batch reactor control system
- Substantial energy savings projected through pacing of blowers by dissolved oxygen sensors
- Total Phase I Project Cost: $400,000
New wastewater treatment standards are here…
The release of new wastewater discharge permit limits next year could require extraordinary changes for smaller Mississippi towns operating treatment lagoons, while larger cities’ mechanical plants may also need some upgrades to meet the new restrictions.
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) is developing water quality standards for nutrients in order to meet court-mandated environmental reforms authorized decades ago by the federal Clean Water Act of 1972, but not fully implemented. The new regulations will require wastewater treatment systems to meet total nitrogen and total phosphorous limits for the first time, and could render some lagoons and plants obsolete overnight.
If you are unsure of how new nutrient standards will affect wastewater treatment in your city, town or industry, WGK can chart a course for your facility’s future. Call Greg Gearhart, PE, BCEE, CEE at 601-925-4444 for an assessment of your treatment operation.
