PEC Project of the Year: New Rochelle Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvement Project
PEC Project Engineering Firms:
Savin Engineers, P.C.
Acadis
CDM Smith
GHD
The Long Island Sound is an estuary that serves numerous local communities and the regional economy by providing boating, fishing, swimming and sightseeing. The sound is a vital water body that provides a home for numerous species of aquatic life to breed, nest and nurse. Due to concerns over poor water and aquatic quality, significant efforts have been made toward identifying pollutants and other issues that impact the sound and developing plans to mitigate them.
Water quality studies have been performed and nitrogen has been identified as a principal factor limiting the water quality of the Long Island Sound. Excess nitrogen levels in the Long Island Sound stimulate phytoplankton growth, which in turn blocks light and prevent growth of submerged aquatic vegetation, destroying the habitat of different fish and shellfish. When the phytoplankton die and decay, available oxygen is then depleted. Thus, dissolved oxygen concentrations fall below the needed levels for the survival of aquatic organisms.
Under a negotiated Order-on-Consent with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), Westchester County agreed to substantially reduce the nitrogen discharge from the New Rochelle Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). The County embarked on a 5 year improvement project at the New Rochelle WWTP that included an innovative nitrogen removal technology known as Biological Aerated Filtration (BAF), a two stage biofiltration process as well as an upgrade to all the other processes.
This project was the largest Public Works project ever undertaken in Westchester County, with a construction cost of $235 M. The plant serves a population of 65,000 residents of the City of New Rochelle, the Town of Mamaroneck, the Village of Larchmont and the Village of Pelham Manor. The plant has been in compliance with NYSDEC nitrogen discharge limits since January 31, 2015. The BAF process has exceeded performance expectations and has reduced the Total Nitrogen discharge from the plant from approximately 2,000 lbs./day in 2014 to approximately 200 lbs./day in 2015. The New Rochelle Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvement Project has been a tremendous success delivering excellent nitrogen removals, on time and within budget.
The awards will be presented at the NYSSPE Annual Conference, which will be held at the East Wind Long Island, Wading River, NY on June 2nd & June 3rd, 2016. For more information, Click Here.
Project Information from : James M. Gavin, P.E. Savin Engineers, P.C. Executive Vice President
Note: NYSSPE facilitates posting on this blog, but the views and accounts expressed herein are those of the author(s) and not the views or accounts of NYSSPE, its officers or directors whose views and accounts may or may not be similar or identical. NYSSPE, its officers and directors do not express any opinion regarding any product or service by virtue of reference to such product or service in this blog.
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