Statesboro Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion
To respond to the population growth in the area and the presence of infiltration flow which was not cost effective to remove, Hussey Gay Bell designed the expansion of the plant from 1.5 MGD to 10 MGD.
The original treatment plant was a single, low rate trickling filter plant with primary and secondary clarification, anaerobic digestion and open sludge drying beds. Chlorination was provided for disinfection and discharge into a small stream, Little Lotts Creek. The State of Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division required that the City of Statesboro install treatment facilities to provide an effluent met the required limitations.
The design of these facilities was accomplished keeping the operator in mind. All of the units were designed for ease of operation and maintenance and with complete flexibility. The processes can be used with or without the trickling filter. Each and every unit can be bypassed to the following unit without interruption of the treatment efficiency. The activated sludge process can be operated in virtually any mode and was designed specifically to accomplish nitrification. In this way the construction of separate nitrification facilities was avoided. Multiple units were provided in each stage of the process in order to provide simplicity and flexibility to the operator. Due to the efficiency of the pre-treatment and primary facilities it has been necessary most of the time to utilize only half of the primary clarifiers in order that sufficient loading could be placed upon the aeration facilities to promote proper and efficient operation. Plant facilities include mechanical bar screens, grit removal, pre-aeration, primary clarifiers, coupled trickling filter-activated sludge secondary treatment, secondary clarifiers, effluent filters, chlorination and effluent aerators. During construction of the new treatment facilities, the existing trickling filter plant had to remain in operation without interruption and without a decline in the quality of the treated effluent.
The project was funded through the Environmental Protection Agency and the plant design and operation has resulted in three Georgia state awards and one regional EPA.
Recently, Hussey Gay Bell designed a new Trojan Signa UV system to replace the 20 years old 10 MGD Trojan 4000 UV system. The new UV system intensity varies based on the light transmittance characteristics of the effluent to reduce energy consumption. In addition, we master planned the City’s sewer service area to determine the current and future capacity necessary for the Statesboro WWTP.