Looking to optimize the city's financial and energy resources, the city of Rome, N.Y., selected Johnson Controls to provide energy efficient upgrades to multiple facilities throughout the city, including the installation of a state-of-the-art aeration system at its wastewater treatment plant.
The improvements are part of a 15-year performance contract with Johnson Controls, which is expected to save the city more than $8.5 million in energy costs. The city has already realized more than $246,000 in savings during the construction period, which was completed in October 2009.
The energy program upgrades include the installation of an energy efficient diffused aeration system at the wastewater treatment plant, replacing a 30-year-old mechanical system that was inefficient in handling increased demand for waste treatment. Additional improvements include the installation of variable speed drives on low-lift pumps at the Water Filtration Plant, advanced data tracking management tools and lighting retrofits, designed to improve overall energy efficiency while saving taxpayer dollars.
The project has also been recognized both locally and nationally for its energy improvements, being named the 2009 Environmental Project of the Year by the American Public Works Association (Central New York Chapter) and awarded the 2009 Municipal Achievement Award by the New York Water Environment Association.
The energy conservation plan is part of a performance contract with Johnson Controls which enables the city to significantly reduce its utility costs and carbon footprint. The cost savings generated will repay the project capital investment over the term of the contract without increasing its operating budget.
City Contracts for DBO Plant Project
United Water has reached agreement with the City of East Providence, RI, for a 10-year, design-build-operate (DBO) contract for the city's wastewater collection and treatment facilities, which provide service to roughly two-thirds of East Providence's 50,000 residents.
The contract calls for United Water to begin operational responsibility while also implementing $52.5 million worth of infrastructure and treatment process upgrades necessary to bring the collection system and plant into compliance with new state Department of Environmental Management mandates.
As a part of the agreement with the city, the company will manage plant operations and improvements. This is expected to save the city $13 million over what was budgeted to be spent under a traditional project delivery approach. Construction is slated to begin at the plant, which was built in 1954 and upgraded in the mid-1970s, before the end of the year with a completion deadline of September 2012. In addition to the renovations at the plant, United Water is scheduled to build a new pump station at Watchemoket Cove and a wastewater pipeline by August 2013.
The treatment plant will undergo extensive upgrades including odor control systems and a biological nutrient removal (BNR) process to reduce nitrogen levels in the treated water. The new BNR process will provide an added level of treatment that will improve water quality in the Pawtucket River and Narragansett Bay.
Tank of the Year Awards Announced
STI/SPFA recognizes member companies within specific industry categories with its Steel Fabricated Product of the Year Awards. The 2009 awards were recently presented at its 2010 Annual Meeting in Palm Springs, CA.
Columbia, MO, Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The award in the Elevated Steel Tank Category went to Caldwell Tanks of Louisville, KY for constructing a 2 million gallon fluted-column elevated potable water storage tank in Milford, OH. The tank will be used for the county to add additional water pressure and capacity to their local water system. Over 700 tons of steel were used in the construction of the water tank and supporting tower.
The tank incorporates a climate-controlled exhaust fan and louver within the shaft, a steel access tube platform inside the tank, and steel antennae mounts and perimeter ice deflectors on the roof.
The winning reservoir project in Palm Springs, CA.
In the Reservoir Category, Pacific Tank & Construction, Inc. of San Juan Capistrano, CA, received recognition for its 12.5 million gallon AWWA reservoir tank. 1,232 tons of steel were used in the construction of the tank that stands at 32 feet straight shell with a 3 foot knuckle and 266 feet in diameter. The tank is located in a resort community, at La Quinta in Palm Springs, CA, on a golf course that has been host to four of the PGA Tour's LG Skins Games.
Project to Focus on Energy-Saving Plant Design
Construction is now under way on upgrades to the Columbia (Mo.) Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant that serves more than 100,000 area residents. The improvements will enable the city of Columbia to handle increasing wastewater treatment demand more efficiently, while improving the quality of treated water discharged into nearby wetlands.
Black & Veatch designed the upgrades to improve reliability and reduce energy consumption.
"This project is the culmination of more than seven years of planning that will help us to proactively meet the future needs of our growing community in a sustainable manner," said John Glascock, Columbia Director of Public Works.
The $62 million project, partially funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2012. Among its many benefits, treated wastewater from the plant will meet new and future discharge requirements. The enhanced water quality will benefit wildlife habitats at the nearby Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, which receives water discharged from the plant via a unique series of constructed wetlands that provide additional, naturally occurring water treatment.
An upgrade to the plant's solids processing facility will reduce vehicle traffic and resulting emissions by approximately 70 percent. WW
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