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Wastewater Treatment Facility
The wastewater treatment facility utilizes Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) technology. This system went on-line in April 1990, and was the first municipal facility in Kansas to use this technology for the treatment of wastewater.
Achievements Since 1990
Achievements since the start-up of the facility include:
Capacity & Features
The facility has a design treatment capacity of two million gallons per day. In addition to the SBR’s, there was also modification to the influent flow handling, sludge handling, and effluent reuse. The handling of the influent, or raw wastewater, presently consists of a two perforated drum screenings channels, two centrifugal grit removal tanks, and a four pump main lift station.
The SBR system is a modification to the activated sludge process. The SBR process is controlled by a computer and a series of programmable logic controllers (PLC's). This equipment allows for the control of valves, pumps, blowers, and other related activities within each basin which would be too labor-intensive, otherwise.
The sludge handling process consists of a four-cell aerobic digester complex, a centrifuge thickener, and an off-site sludge storage facility. The digester accepts excess sludge from the SBR’s. After digestion, the sludge is pumped to the centrifuge thickener where it is further dewatered to a dryness of approximately 22%. This dewatered sludge is transported to the off-site storage facility where it awaits application to agricultural land. The dried sludge, know known as biosolids, is applied in December and/or January to city owned agricultural ground which is planted in brome grass.
The effluent, or treated wastewater, is discharged from the SBR's to a reaeration basin for the addition of oxygen. It exits the re-aeration basin and passes through the ultra violet disinfection unit before being discharged to Dry Turkey Creek. A portion of this effluent is diverted prior to the outfall for use within the treatment facility and as irrigation for Turkey Creek Golf Course. The remainder of the effluent is pumped to CHS refineries for reuse within their system. This allowed CHS to expand their operation while conserving valuable ground water resources.
Achievements Since 1990
Achievements since the start-up of the facility include:
- American Consulting Engineers Council national finalist for facility design, 1991
- Kansas Water Environment Association award winner for best large facility in the state, 1994 and 1995
- Environmental Protection Agency Operation and Maintenance Excellence Award for Region VII, 1996
- Environmental Protection Agency Operation and Maintenance Excellence Award for best medium advanced facility in the nation, 1996
- Environmental Protection Agency Pretreatment Excellence Award, 4th place nationally in 1996
- Environmental Protection Agency Biosolids Excellence Award for Region VII in 1998
Capacity & Features
The facility has a design treatment capacity of two million gallons per day. In addition to the SBR’s, there was also modification to the influent flow handling, sludge handling, and effluent reuse. The handling of the influent, or raw wastewater, presently consists of a two perforated drum screenings channels, two centrifugal grit removal tanks, and a four pump main lift station.
The SBR system is a modification to the activated sludge process. The SBR process is controlled by a computer and a series of programmable logic controllers (PLC's). This equipment allows for the control of valves, pumps, blowers, and other related activities within each basin which would be too labor-intensive, otherwise.
The sludge handling process consists of a four-cell aerobic digester complex, a centrifuge thickener, and an off-site sludge storage facility. The digester accepts excess sludge from the SBR’s. After digestion, the sludge is pumped to the centrifuge thickener where it is further dewatered to a dryness of approximately 22%. This dewatered sludge is transported to the off-site storage facility where it awaits application to agricultural land. The dried sludge, know known as biosolids, is applied in December and/or January to city owned agricultural ground which is planted in brome grass.
The effluent, or treated wastewater, is discharged from the SBR's to a reaeration basin for the addition of oxygen. It exits the re-aeration basin and passes through the ultra violet disinfection unit before being discharged to Dry Turkey Creek. A portion of this effluent is diverted prior to the outfall for use within the treatment facility and as irrigation for Turkey Creek Golf Course. The remainder of the effluent is pumped to CHS refineries for reuse within their system. This allowed CHS to expand their operation while conserving valuable ground water resources.