Improvements to prepare utility for population growth, and preserve environmental stewardship.
USA: The North Texas Municipal Water District (the District) is proactively upgrading its Wilson Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (RWWTP) to service a growing population while maintaining environmental compliance.
The district provides wastewater services to 24 communities and 1.4 million residents of North Texas. Its wastewater system consists of more than 226 miles of large-diameter pipelines, 23 lift stations, and 13 wastewater treatment plants to convey and treat approximately 163+ million gallons of wastewater per day (MGD). With a service area projected to double by 2050 to more than three million residents, the district maintains its wastewater treatment plants to meet the needs of one of the fastest-growing regions in the country.
The 64-MGD Wilson Creek RWWTP is the largest plant in the regional system and the backbone of the district’s treatment capabilities.
As part of the district’s capital improvements plan, and in alignment with a recently-completed Wilson Creek RWWTP master plan, the project includes replacing mechanisms and evaluating the covers of primary clarifiers, replacing aging aeration blowers, and expanding solids dewatering. Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection capacity will increase by utilizing higher intensity UV lamps and increasing the flow-through three channels, allowing the plant to reliably meet discharge permit requirements. Furthermore, a new aeration control building will house electrical gear to serve the new blowers and provide energy-efficient blower control for the aeration process.
A key design element is the careful sequencing of construction activities to facilitate continuous operations during site works.
Once complete, the upgrades and replacement of aging equipment will improve plant reliability, optimize process performance and energy efficiency, and increase the flexibility of the plant. Moreover, the improvements will help the plant meet current wastewater regulatory permit requirements.
Recently underway, the detailed design and engineering of the upgrades are being led by prime consultants Brown and Caldwell.
“We applaud the district for taking proactive steps to ensure its customers continue to receive exemplary levels of service. Our highly qualified team is honored to bring proven and new technologies to transform the facility in alignment with the District’s long-term goals”, said Brown and Caldwell Principal-in-Charge Adam Evans.
Following completion of the design phase by November 2023, the construction close-out of the upgrades is scheduled for March 2026.
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