The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities ordered two ultraviolet (UV) disinfection systems from Wedeco-Ideal Horizons to replace the chlorine gas disinfection systems used at the Sugar Creek and Irwin Creek wastewater treatment plants in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The US consultancy CDM, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, conducted a study of alternative disinfection techniques at both plants, and determined that UV disinfection was the preferred solution. Both plants are designed to purify and clarify the wastewater of 600,000 residents. The new disinfection systems will be delivered and installed in the second half of 2004.
The set-up of the two plants is basically identical, consisting of influent screening and grit facilities, primary clarification, diffused aeration basins, secondary clarification and deep-bed sand filtration and re-aeration. The last treatment step, the TAK55 UV systems will be used with more than 1,000 Spektrotherm® UV lamps. The peak design flows of the Sugar Creek and Irwin Creek treatment plants are 6,300 m3 and 4,700 m3 wastewater per hour, respectively. Wedeco-Ideal Horizons is the US subsidiary of Wedeco AG, based in Düsseldorf, Germany.