Switch-Mode Success   Water & Wastes Digest May 2008   By Mel Berman
Advances in power supplies for automated electrochemical mini-plants

Managing Nutrient Pollution   Water & Wastes Digest May 2008   By David Slack
The Howard F. Curren Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant continues to reduce nutrient inflow into the Tampa Bay Estuary after nearly 30 years in operation

Goodbye Guesswork   Pump Source April 2008   By Chad Larson
An Illinois wastewater treatment plant reduces maintenance liabilities using variable frequency drives (VFDs)

MBR System Takes Center Stage in Community Development   Water & Wastes Digest April 2008   By Christopher Lewis
The new system will use water reuse & submerged membranes to produce high-quality effluent
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Nutrient Removal   Membrane Technology March 2008   By Fred R. Gaines & Christopher Lewis
Controlling the discharge of nutrients from U.S. wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs)
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Finding the Right Elbow   Water & Wastes Digest March 2008   By David Hunter
Elbow failure created a hazardous slip-and-fall situation and put sensitive controls at risk
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Busting the Grit Chamber Sizing Myth   Water & Wastes Digest January 2008   By Robert Y.G. Andoh
Should grit removal tanks be sized to remove very fine and coarse grit?
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Chambers Preserve Natural Beauty in Condo Development   Water & Wastes Digest December 2007   Infiltrator Systems, Inc.
Lack of space and poor soils make drainfield choice critical
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Dirty Jobs Need Clean Solutions   Water & Wastes Digest December 2007   By Bob Smith-McCollum
Portable wastewater treatment systems support Canada’s natural industries

Wastewater Plant Upgrade Achieves Biological Nutrient Removal   Water & Wastes Digest September 2007   By Kevin Bunting
The city of Fruitland, Md., chooses an SBR system to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus levels while protecting Chesapeake Bay
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Sludge Treatment Made Easy   Water & Wastes Digest September 2007   By Neda Simeonova
Lakeview WWTP reduces odor and maintenance costs by switching from incineration of heat-treated sludge to incineration of untreated sludge
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Sludge Solutions   Water & Wastes Digest September 2007   By Dan Tumis
Sludge blanket level analyzers prove effective in King County, Wash., wastewater treatment plant
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Recycling & Reusing   Water & Wastes Digest September 2007   By Paul Schuler
The U.S. Army and Aqua Engineers team up to establish an award-winning wastewater reuse system on a Hawaiian Army base
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Membrane Bioreactors 101   Water & Wastes Digest September 2007   By Guillermo Garcia
The use of MBR technology in wastewater treatment facilities is on the rise
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A Compact Solution for CSO Treatment   Water & Wastes Digest August 2007   By K. Scott Henderson
A look at the largest high-rate clarification system for CSO treatment in North America
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Brand New Technologies Attract International Visitors   Water & Wastes Digest August 2007   By George W. Smith
A wastewater plant’s facelift reduces aeration power & solids, while improving effluent quality
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Membranes in Manitowoc   Water & Wastes Digest May 2007   by Clare Pierson
Manitowoc Public Utilities is one of the few to operate pressurized and submerged membrane filtration side by side

You Say You Want a Resolution?   Water & Wastes Digest January 2007   By Tim Gregorski

Implementing Pressure & Submerged Membrane Filtration   Membrane Technology November 2006   Lisa Sorgini
Plant expansion doubles treatment capacity in half the footprint

Sustainable Solution Full of Energy   Water & Wastes Digest November 2006   By Dave Blurton
North Shore Sanitary District harnesses the power of biosolids

Marco Island Welcomes Recycled Water   Membrane Technology November 2006   By Jenn Watt
Packaged MBR plant maximizes WWTP expansion on resort island

Control Strategy   Membrane Technology November 2006   By Dennis Livingston, Hiren Trivedi & Chintan Parikh
Examining the MBR system at the Yulee Wastewater Treatment Plant

How Long Can You Go?   Water & Wastes Digest October 2006   By Mario Benisch, Dave Clark, April Z. Gu & JB Neethling
Recently, there has been increasing demand to achieve very low effluent total phosphorus (TP) due to more stringent discharge limits imposed on wastewater treatment plants.

Changing with the Times   Water & Wastes Digest September 2006   Tim Gregorski
Frequent upgrades, the ability to handle various capacities, and recognition by the EPA result in a sense of pride in the employees at the Lititz (Pa.) Sewer Authority Wastewater Treatment Plant

WWTP Cuts Screening Costs in Half with Solids Separation System   Water & Wastes Digest September 2006   By Clifford Seth & Alec Mackie
Facility uses ‘Monsters’ to better manage screening, odor & trash problems

Clusters: A Viable Alternative   Water & Wastes Digest September 2006   By Scott D. Wallace & Dennis F. Hallahan
Cluster systems provide sustainable development solutions and quality wastewater treatment for rural communities

Choosing the Proper Equipment for Extended Aeration Lagoons   Water & Wastes Digest September 2006   By Guy Colby Mace
Equipment must be durable, rugged, maintenance free, economical, and have good mixing and oxygen transfer

Pumps on Cruise Control   Water & Wastes Digest July 2006   By Ken Schmanski
Teamwork and technology unite to provide a successful retrofit pumping system.

Protecting Historic Charm   Water & Wastes Digest May 2006   By Ian Page
Historic village of Dundee, Mich., upgrades MBR and aerobic digestion system to ensure problem-free treatment

Simple Solution Finally Found   Water & Wastes Digest May 2006   By Justin Adelson
Reducing hydrogen sulfide and sulfuric acid levels in forced main

Alternative Solutions for a Sustainable Future   Membrane Technology March 2006   By Mark W. LeChevallier, Ph.D.
Membrane filtration applications provide sustainable water managementBy Mark W. LeChevallier, Ph.D.

Treating the Cause, Not the Symptom   Membrane Technology March 2006   By Dennis Livingston & Hiren Trivedi
Understanding membrane performance in MBR applications through biohydraulics

Striving for Reliability   Water & Wastes Digest February 2006   By Steve London
Texas wastewater plant achieves superior results with sludge recirculating pump upgrade

COD Analysis Plays Critical Role   Water & Wastes Digest January 2006   By Chris Fair
COD analysis provides advantages for the Salt Lake City Water Reclamation Plant

Examining the Latest Technology in Nutrient Analysis & Monitoring Systems   Water & Wastes Digest November 2005   By Mohamed Aboul Eish and Robert Clifford
A solution for better treatment at water and wastewater utilities

Taking Treatment Plants to a New Level   Membrane Technology November 2005

How to Handle Membrane Reject Water   Membrane Technology November 2005   Van Kile and Susie Kippenberger

Recycling Wastewater Proves to be Ideal Solution   Water & Wastes Digest September 2005   By Brian L. Book, Jason D. Wert and Adam Wilson

Tight Site Construction   Water & Wastes Digest September 2005   By Pat Malone and Krystal Patrick

Blown Out of the Wastewater   Water & Wastes Digest September 2005   By Jon Zabrocki, P.E. and Paul Larson, P.E.
By precisely controlling pressure in the air header and modulating airflow to each aeration zone to maintain set point DO levels, the energy usage is minimized through efficient operation.

Keeping Odor Under Control   Water & Wastes Digest August 2005   By Ed Sullivan
“We are very concerned about maintaining an odor cap,” said David Williams, project engineer at Shell Oil (Shell Manufacturing) Martinez Refinery, California “Our treatment pond is about 1/4 mile from a residential community. We’ve got a delicate situation where even just a slight amount of odor could arouse complaints from the community. So, we keep a close eye on it.”

Set it & Forget it   Water & Wastes Digest August 2005   By Bob Elliott
Keeping the environment clean is a top priority for the authority. Wastewater is processed biologically, with none of the chemicals that are typically used, and achieves complete nitrogen removal. Specifically, the process removes CBOD, suspended solids, ammonia as nitrogen, nitrates, nitrites and phosphorus.

Time Saved Testing Pays Off   Water & Wastes Digest May 2005   By Adam Potter
Many wastewater plants are switching from fecal coliforms to monitoring for E. coli and Enterococcus, because the EPA has identified these bacteria as the best indicators of fecal contamination in water.

From Rags to Greater Riches   Water & Wastes Digest April 2005   By Juan Citarella
Management of wastewater treatment plant in Cocoa Beach, Fla., satisfied with results having resolved costly return activated sludge pump failure

Take A Measure of Prevention   Water & Wastes Digest April 2005   By Alan Austin
Fixed-point and/or portable gas detectors are essential to protect workers and equipment, as well as an OSHA and EPA requirement.

Sand Plays Prominent Role at Canadian Ski Lodge   Water & Wastes Digest March 2005   By Dennis Hallahan, P.E.
These traditional technologies, often upgraded with new design and technology, provide quality treatment and disposal without the capital cost of sewering and centralized treatment plants.

Aerators Enhance Aerobic Digestion Process   Water & Wastes Digest March 2005   By Larry W. Moore and Charles Van Zandt
The Eden Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) generates about 20,000 lb per day of waste activated sludge solids, which are aerobically digested prior to storage in sludge lagoons and ultimate land application.

Flushing Away Waste Problems   Water & Wastes Digest March 2005
The Monster Airport Receiving Station, installed as part of a multi-terminal upgrade project, was designed and manufactured by JWC Environmental.

No Longer Singing the Blues   Water & Wastes Digest March 2005   By William H. Simendinger
Composite valves incorporated into Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant outperform expectations while helping improve operations

Flying High Again   Water & Wastes Digest February 2005   By Bob Bodak
Dry cake is hauled away in 55-gal HAZMAT drums costing approximately $2,000 per shipment.

Beyond Pumping   Water & Wastes Digest December 2004   By Michael Moreau
Is there a solution, besides pumping or other current bacterial or chemical remedies, that offers the system owner real relief without having to resort to system replacement?

Mission Possible   Water & Wastes Digest October 2004   By Megan Larson
When the conditions are right, the Struvite will rapidly form crystals that spread throughout a pipeline forming a concrete-like crust.

New vs. Old Thinking   Water & Wastes Digest October 2004   By Craig Lindell
Despite the success of the EPA grants program the quality of the nation’s water resources continues to decline.

Wastewater Treatment for Unserviced Land Development   Water & Wastes Digest October 2004   By James Hotchkies
Residential, industrial, or recreational construction on non-sewered land frequently raises many questions about the most reliable and cost-effective strategy for managing the future wastewater stream.

Managing Onsite and Decentralized Wastewater Systems   Water & Wastes Digest October 2004   By A. R. Rubin
With the exception of the Class V wells, onsite/decentralized systems are not regulated directly at the federal level and there are major inconsistencies in the management approaches utilized to sustain an onsite wastewater infrastructure at the state and local level.

The Evolution of Low-Pressure, Immersed Membrane Technology   Membrane Technology October 2004   by T. David Chinn, P.E.
Today, after nearly 25 years of championing the innovation and evolution of low-pressure, immersed membrane technology, ZENON continues to be a leader in this rapidly growing and dynamic market.

Addressing Membrane FAQs   Membrane Technology October 2004   by Karen Decampli
With this growth and discovery stems questions about specific uses and maintenance.

Membranes Meet Total Water Treatment Needs for Growing City   Membrane Technology October 2004   by Tom Foley
After more than two decades of outsourcing its wastewater treatment, city officials in American Canyon began to consider constructing plant of their own.

Science Applied to Optimize Membrane Treatment   Membrane Technology October 2004   by Paul Dittman
CWS hired Black & Veatch (B&V) to evaluate a treatment system to process 20 MGD of water from the Kern River for the city of Bakersfield. B&V selected a treatment system that uses coagulation and sedimentation with ferric chloride as coagulant.

Ten Things You Need to Know   Membrane Technology October 2004   by Charles Liu, Ph.D., P.E., DEE
The removal credit for any membrane system can be only granted as it can be verified by integrity testing.

UF Pretreatment for RO Systems   Membrane Technology October 2004   By John McArdle, Antonia von Gottberg, Ben Antrim and Dawn Halpern
Because of the increasing awareness of the need for adequate pretreatment, there has been significant interest in UF as pretreatment for RO for municipal applications in brackish and seawater desalination plants.

Trouble-Free Operation   Membrane Technology October 2004   By James J. Vecchio and Antonia von Gottberg
Manganese was present in the water at 0.70 mg/l, and iron concentrations were around 0.30 mg/l.

Membranes Offer Flexible & Economical Water Treatment Options   Membrane Technology October 2004   by Stratton Tragellis and Ed Jordan
Innovative and highly adaptable membrane technologies are discussed in the following case studies

What is Coming Down the Pipe?   Water & Wastes Digest September 2004   By Alec Mackie
Addison, Ill., incorporates new technology to clean up tons of wastewater screenings before sending it to a local transfer station.

Securing the Nation’s Wastewater Infrastructure   Water & Wastes Digest September 2004   By Denise Covelli
The nation’s wastewater infrastructure is one of America’s most valuable assets, and several industry groups are working hard to safeguard it.

DCWW Power, Politics and Paradigm   Water & Wastes Digest August 2004   By Craig Lindell
However, its real capacity (decentralized wastewater treatment) to address budget challenges, nonpoint pollution and the watershed agenda remains unrealized.

Deconstructing Onsite Wastewater Treatment   Water & Wastes Digest August 2004   A. R. Rubin
Throughout the country, onsite wastewater management systems commonly are used in rural and urban fringe areas.

Triple Option Offers Savings   Water & Wastes Digest June 2004
Ninety percent is the savings in capital cost that HDR, Inc., has been able to provide to the Oro Loma (Calif.) Sanitary District.

Answering the Challenge   Water & Wastes Digest May 2004   By Eugene R. Reahl
San Diego uses EDR technology to produce low salinity irrigation water from reclaimed municipal wastewater

A Novel Approach Tested in Oregon   Water & Wastes Digest May 2004   By Rob Baur and Jacques Bourbonnais, Ph.D., P.Eng.
If operators can optimize the use of existing facilities and delay expansion, there could be significant capital savings.

Aeration System Stirs Up Savings   Water & Wastes Digest March 2004   By Michel Gregory
Besides giving the coastal town’s budget a boost, the new aeration system is doing a better job of processing wastewater to a level of purity that allows its discharge into the Columbia River.

Innovative Washer-Compactor Helps Treatment Plant Reduce Screenings Discharge   WWDmag.com January-December 2004   Clifford seth
Ends previous procedure forced by local landfill closure

Old School No Longer   Water & Wastes Digest October 2003   Thomas C. Schwartz
When the country's oldest private boarding school had to upgrade and modernize its wastewater treatment facility, it employed a new and innovative technology to resolve an administrative consent order (ACO) to bring itself into compliance and avoid the possibility of paying hefty fines.

Silent Treatment   Water & Wastes Digest October 2003   Megan Rapaduski
Michael Goltz, superintendent of the Mt. Horeb, Wis., Wastewater Treatment Plant, settled on the Val-Matic Swing Check Valve because it specifically addressed the slamming and clogging problems exhibited by the previous swing check valves.

A Real Grease Job   Water & Wastes Digest September 2003
The Village of Flossmoor, Ill. faced an unusual problem at their Flossmoor Commons Sewage Pump Station as grease was accumulating at a very rapid pace. The Village installed a Depth Charge Wet Well Mixing System, designed and manufactured by Precision Systems . According to the manufacturer, the unit is unique among wet well mixing systems in that it is the first system specifically designed to mix floating/non-suspended solids within a wastewater wet well. Since installing the system in February 2002, the problems, and the according additional maintenance have been eliminated.

Capitalizing on Wastewater Treatment Process   Water & Wastes Digest September 2003   Randy Hill and Jenny Leverett
Dayton Progress Corporation's focus has been on manufacturing metal punches, punch blanks and metal stamping tools. Part of the logistics behind running a global corporation includes the management of wastewater, for which Dayton relies on Crown Solutions, a water management firm. Crown's objective was the successful implementation of a tubular wastewater ultrafiltration (UF) system reducing the amount of waste hauled off-site by up to 95%.

Calif. Utility Earns Fast Payback On Pump Retrofit   Water & Wastes Digest July 2003
The Cupertino Sanitary District (CSD) recently underwent significant equipment upgrades at its lift stations. The district's submersible pumps now operate with a new type of impeller designed to virtually eliminate blockages. During the year following the pump retrofit program, the utility saved several thousand dollars by preventing all but one blockage. Additional energy savings are being realized due to the suspended high operating efficiency offered by the new pumps.

New Septage Receiving System Ends Pump Clogging In Processing Plant   Water & Wastes Digest April 2003
Management at Stewart's Septic Services in Bradford, Mass., a privately held regional septic pumper for both residential and commercial tanks, reports it has taken advantage of a new septage receiving system to end the problem of clogged pumps in its processing plant. The move increased company income by enhancing its own processing capability, while allowing for increased collection activity and processing throughput.

Integrated Technology Simplifies Dewatering Process at Two Municipal STPs   Water & Wastes Digest February 2003   Robert W. Mau, USFilter
The borough of West Mifflin, Penn., is a community located about nine miles southeast of downtown Pittsburgh. For years, the West Mifflin Sanitary Sewer Municipal Authority (WMSSMA) hauled liquid from its New England STP (a 1.2 mgd plant) to the Thompson Run facility (a 4.5 mgd plant), where it was processed on a belt press for dewatering. However, the hauling and associated labor proved very costly, and it was not always easy to coordinate dewatering schedules for both plants. Additionally in the late 1990s, the WMSSMA faced a requirement to achieve higher cake solids and provide odor control that would respect nearby homes and businesses. Moreover, space constraints and staffing reductions necessitated a simple-to-operate installation.

Submersible Blowers Reduce Noise in Berlin Redevelopment   Water & Wastes Digest January 2003
A major environmental project to help rejuvenate a lake at the heart of Berlin attributes much of its success to unique submersible blowers from UK manufacturer Adams Ricardo.

New Wastewater Treatment Technology Emerges from Nevada Desert   Water & Wastes Digest January 2003
Out of a landscape parched for water?but certainly not ideas?comes a unique innovation in wastewater treatment from Premier Wastewater International (PWI tm). Based in southern Nevada, PWI has developed an economical treatment process that can remove more than 90 percent of the organic matter, according to Matt Russell, president and CEO.

Odor Control System   Water & Wastes Digest January 2003   Brent Howe
Odor complaints have become an all too familiar subject to WWTP managers. They are not only expected to manage their plants effectively and efficiently, meeting both regulatory specs and budget requirements – they are also expected to be good neighbors and keep odor under control. This article describes the successful odor control efforts of the South Dearborn Regional Sewer District located in Lawrenceburg, Ind.

New Analyzer Takes Readings During the Treatment Process   Water & Wastes Digest January 2003
A unique ammonia/phosphate analyzer designed to take readings directly in the wastewater, in other words, precisely where the nutrient concentration needs to be measured, also delivers real-time, online information about nutrient concentration in the process.

Integrated Technology Simplifies Dewatering Process at Two Municipal STPs   Water & Wastes Digest October 2002
In the late 1990s, one western Pennsylvania sewage treatment plant (STP) sought to process Class B biosolids on-site, eliminating the expense of hauling liquid off-site and significantly decreasing associated labor costs. At the same time, the plant needed to achieve higher cake solids and provide strict odor control. In addition, the selected equipment also had to be able to greatly enhance process efficiencies at not just the one plant, but its sister facility as well. Fortunately, USFilter offered a fairly simple solution to meet the STP's seemingly complex needs.

Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems   Water Quality Products September 2002   U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Water Quality Association
The following is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Special Issues Fact Sheet on Water Softeners. This document supports the WQA's position on softener wastes and the fact that they are not harmful to septic systems.
PDF Version

Automated Treatment, Monitoring System Keeps An Eye On Operations   Water & Wastes Digest September 2002
To make the most of its resources, including operator time and energy, Warrington Township Water and Sewer Department--located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania--installed a compact sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system when the facility was built four years ago. And an equally hardworking Hach OptiQuant SST Analyzer, installed two years ago, keeps a vigilant eye on the final product.

360° Discharge Removes Bottleneck In Screening Liquid Biological Fertilizer   Water & Wastes Digest September 2002
AgriEnergy Resources boosted throughput of a circular vibratory separator by 200-300 percent by employing a 360° discharge Kascade® deck that eliminated a restrictive buildup of rope-like sludge around the screen circumference.

The Invisible Sewage Plant   Water & Wastes Digest September 2002   Carl Dorsch
If you go looking for a particular sewage treatment plant in Cincinnati, Ohio, the first thing you'll notice is--you might not notice it at all. In fact, when following perfectly clear directions to the facility, you might still drive right by it, dismissing it as just another office building. It doesn't register as a treatment plant.

Pinch Valve with Sealed Body Prevents Debris Buildup   Water & Wastes Digest August 2002
A problem existed in Pennsylvania at the Upper Gwynedd Towamencin County Authority wastewater treatment plant, in the secondary treatment phase. The submerged plug valves in the aeration tanks were becoming progressively harder to operate as the years passed.

Fine Bubble Aeration/Mixing System Cuts Lagoon Treatment Energy Costs   Water & Wastes Digest August 2002
The Biomixer Aeration and Mixing system is providing optimum dissolved oxygen transfer and mixing at this lagoon, in spite of the number of units being reduced from the original design of five units down to three. This is being obtained with the dissolved oxygen levels throughout the basin averaging 9.1 mg/l. Even at the influent end of the basin where the loading rate is the highest, the dissolved oxygen readings were above 8.5 mg/l.

New Wastewater Handling Pumps Eliminate Blockage Problem at California Lift Station   Water & Wastes Digest July 2002
Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency (MRWPCA) has installed a new type of pump featuring a unique, self-cleaning impeller to overcome frequent clogging experienced in recent years at Pacific Grove Station 12. Prior to replacing the station’s two original pumps, the wetwell’s limited retention and close proximity to Monterey Bay — 60 ft. away — increased the risk of bypasses reaching the beach.

Midwest City Saves Money By Controlling Dissolved Oxygen In Aeration Basin   Water & Wastes Digest May 2002
Maintaining the proper concentration of dissolved oxygen in an aeration basin is necessary to keep microorganisms alive for breakdown of the organic waste. When the dissolved oxygen content becomes too high, costly energy is wasted, and expensive aeration equipment endures unneeded wear. A small Midwestern city is a case in point, illustrating the benefits of continuous dissolved oxygen monitoring and control.

Packaged Treatment Plant Treats Tough Water Supplies Consistently, Economically   Water & Wastes Digest May 2002   Darin St. Germain
Since the 1960s, municipalities and industries have used packaged water treatment plants to successfully and economically treat small water supplies. These packaged plants have offered a smaller footprint, lower capital cost and easy operation.

Patented Separator Design Eases Maintenance   Water & Wastes Digest March 2002
Traditionally, the separations process was one which involved frequent and often complicated maintenance. Wastewater Diversion Systems, Inc. of Mechanicsville, Va., has developed and patented the FOX VGS (Vertical Gravity Separator) to remove free oil, grease and suspended solids from wastewater, while significantly reducing the frequency and difficulty of maintenance.

Patented Process Reduces Drying Time, Facility Footprint   Water & Wastes Digest February 2002
In raw form, biosolids have been used to supplement commercial fertilizers by the farming industry for decades. Today, we treat biosolids further to remove harmful pathogens. N-Viro International of Toledo, Ohio, has developed and patented a processing tool designed to decrease the time needed to dry the product as well as decreasing the footprint of the drying facility.