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Summer |
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Professional Recyclers of
Pennsylvania
(PROP)
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July 27-29
State College, PA
***********
Annual event featuring diverse
recycling, business and composting tracks in addition to tours,
workshops and Gannett Fleming exhibiting activities.
Municipal
waste recycling efforts through organizations such as PROP
were discussed in our March, 2004, edition.
***************
www.proprecycles.org
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Water Works Operators' Association of Pennsylvania (WWOAP)
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August 1-3
State College, PA
***********
"Producing Water The Smart Way"
will feature wide-ranging water accountability, reporting and
contaminant removal topics along with annual workshops,
legislative updates and closing remarks by outgoing
WWOAP President and Gannett
Fleming Water/Wastewater Process Specialist,
Eric Buzza.
Our October, 2004, edition
featured the WWOAP and Eric's credentials in our
Operator's Connection.
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www.wwoap.net
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Tri-Service
Infrastructure Systems Conference and Exposition
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August 1-4
St. Louis, MO
*********
"Reenergizing
Engineering Excellence" will feature workshops on various
engineering disciplines ranging from geotechnical, mechanical
and electrical to dam safety and hydrology and hydraulics and
will include two Gannett Fleming geotechnical grouting
presentations.
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www.ndia.org |
Solid
Waste Conference
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September
7-8
State College, PA
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The joint
PWIA/ SWANA/ PADEP/ PAHMI
Conference will provide industry forums ranging from leachate and
energy management to capacity and radiation issues in addition to a
Gannett Fleming exhibit.
*****
www.keystoneswana.org |
Pennsylvania
Municipal Authorities Association
(PMAA)
Conference/Trade Show
*********************
September 11-14
Hershey, PA
********
PMAA's
"Great Ideas Conference" includes diverse exhibits and
informational sessions covering funding, security, technology,
environmental and policy sessions for municipal professionals
including a Gannett Fleming presentations on state nutrient
reduction strategies and related treatment technologies.
Read our
Papers/Presentations section for more information.
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www.municipalauthorities.org |
American
Public Works Association International Congress and Exposition
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September 11-14
Minneapolis, MN
**********
This year's event will feature over 140 educational sessions on
topics ranging from emergency management, facilities and information
systems to solid waste, flood control and water/ wastewater.
*********
www.apwa.net |
^back
to top^
Site
Remediation:
 |
|
^
Roger Moose, PG |
Well-versed in geology and the
natural sciences, Roger has over 30 years of experience
including leaking underground storage tanks program management. Located in our firm's
corporate headquarters, he is a Site Remediation Project Manager
and Hydrogeologist responsible for directing field
investigations, monitoring well drilling, environmental impact
analyses and remedial investigations at hazardous waste sites
for various federal, state, municipal, industrial and private
clients.
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wastewater:
 |
|
^
Ron Jager, PE |
Ron has nearly 25 years of
experience in all phases of wastewater treatment and biosolids
facility design,construction administration and operation.
Based in our firm's State College, PA, office, Ron is
responsible for expanding Gannett Fleming's services to
municipal and industrial clients in central Pennsylvania, as
well as supporting wastewater projects including nutrient
reduction efforts throughout the country.
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Water/Wastewater
Technology:
 |
|
^
Dean Foote, PE and RCDD |
Manager of the newly created
ICE Technologies, Dean has over 14 years of experience in multi-faceted arenas. He leads a diverse service
group comprising more than 20 electrical, control system and network engineers, in
addition to distribution designers and programmers with broad experience in the
water and wastewater, K-12th grade, college and university, transportation,
pharmaceutical, manufacturing, commercial and military markets. |
^back
to top^
 Technology
Corner:
Biological
Nutrient
Removal
overview:
Biological
nutrient removal (BNR) is generally the most cost-effective and
common nitrogen removal approach. It involves a multi-staged
process that ultimately results in the conversion of ammonia to
free nitrogen gas.
stages:
The first stage in BNR is the
process of nitrification: a two-step aerobic process where
ammonia (NH3-N) is oxidized to nitrite (NO2-N) and nitrite is
oxidized to nitrate (NO3-N).
The second stage is the process
of denitrification, where the nitrate produced during
nitrification is ultimately reduced to free nitrogen gas under
anoxic conditions when substrate (carbon source) is present.
The substrate that allows denitrification to occur is supplied
by the influent wastewater, endogenous decay (lysing biomass),
or an external substrate source (e.g., methanol or acetate).
experience:
Our firm's
Process Design and Operations
Group has extensive experience in the design and evaluation of
various BNR processes that include Modified Ludzack-Ettinger (MLE),
MLE with integrated fixed film, Bardenpho, simultaneous
nitrification/ denitrification, pre-anoxic step feed,
post-anoxic external carbon addition, and the sequencing batch
reactor.
Read our related
Nutrient Reduction
articles or contact
Ron Jager, PE,
[ bio ]for more information.
As described in our
Papers/Presentations, Ron
and Jim Elliott, PE, will also discuss nutrient management
strategies at this year's PMAA Conference, in addition to a Dale
Shope, PE, presentation on removal treatment technologies.
|
Mission Statement:
|
"To provide timely
industry news and information while sharing related Gannett
Fleming activities." |
Notes:
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Dam Engineering:
California and
Wyoming Success
The
Wyoming Water Development Commission has contracted our firm to complete
conceptual design studies for five water supply dam projects. Our firm's
Fort Collins/Windsor office, in conjunction with our Phoenix, AZ, office will
perform the work which includes . . .
Multi-purpose
Membrane Technology
As previously
cited, the growing
water and wastewater membrane industry illustrates varied technology
applications. Membrane uses range from water treatment regulation
compliance related to disinfection (see our "operational
criteria" abstract), to softening and removing dissolved solids.
|
Project Facts |
| Our firm's Ephrata design includes
additions to an existing pump house to accommodate membrane
treatment equipment. An existing well pump and high-service
pump will also be replaced to increase well station capacity. |
Regarding the
latter, an effort underway for the Ephrata Area Joint Authority, Ephrata, PA, to design and install
a nanofiltration membrane treatment facility will reduce hardness, sulfate and
total dissolved solids at the Authority's Well No. 4.
Contact
Project Manager, Tim Glessner, PE, for
more information.
Smart Water Planning
A New Morgan Land Company
Development Project will enable New Morgan Borough, PA, to transform into a
21st-century smart growth town
while requiring significant
water supply engineering work over the next 20 years.
|
Design |
|
This effort, designed to
accommodate growth in southern Berks County, PA (near the Morgantown
access to the Pennsylvania Turnpike), could require up to 2.5 MGD of potable
water at build-out conditions. |
Water supply will likely include conjunctive use of
both groundwater
and surface water supplies. In addition to overall water
system plan development, our firm will provide planning, design and permitting
expertise on various contract assignments.
Contact Project Manager,
Scott Hughes, PE, for more information.
Delaware Air Quality:
Landfill Gas-To-Energy
|
Did You Know? |
|
Landfill gas, consisting primarily of methane, is
frequently generated at modern landfills. Regulators often require that it
be flared as a means to reduce odors. |
Coal-fired
facilities release a considerable amount of nitrogen oxide (NOx) into Delaware's
atmosphere. Using landfill gas in an engine produces considerably less NOx
than coal. Also, in comparison to coal, landfill gas generation (a result
of decomposing trash) is a readily available and often unused source of power.
It does not incur the social or economic costs associated with coal mining.
As
part of Delaware's ongoing effort to control air pollution,
our firm is providing
air quality permitting services to a client seeking to develop two landfill
gas-to-energy plants in the state. If this project can be successfully
developed by the end of the year, it is eligible for new federal tax credits.
For more information, contact Project Manager,
Ed Kashdan, PE.
Nutrient Reduction:
Pennsylvania Approach
The
Chesapeake Bay Agreement seeks to improve water quality within the Chesapeake
Bay watershed to a level that will remove the Bay from the federal Clean Water
Act 303 (d) list of impaired waters by 2010. “Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake
Bay Tributary Strategy” was released during December
2004 to establish the programs needed to meet the nutrient cap goals of
Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay tributaries. . .
|
Did You Know? |
|
Nitrogen conversion and removal is
largely a biological process. Due to
the complexity of this new process, previous terms used at wastewater treatment
plants such
as "aeration tanks" will be replaced by a term such as "biological reactor" because
the tank may no longer be completely aerobic. It will likely have a combination
of aerobic, anoxic and possibly anaerobic zones.
|
Process Modeling
Computer modeling enables the simulation of the extensive physical, chemical,
and biological processes that make Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) possible.
Our firm uses GPS-X (an advanced modeling system for wastewater treatment
processes) to design, simulate, and optimize BNR processes. A customized
process model can not only facilitate plant functionality; but it can get closer
to meeting the most stringent effluent criteria that regulatory agencies may
require.
|
Contact
Wastewater Project Manager,
Ron Jager, PE, [
bio ] for more information or to
request a copy of our comprehensive Nutrient Reduction brochure. |
 |
Wireless Communications
Municipalities should consider wireless SCADA and security monitoring
communications when deciding to implement or upgrade a system. Most new
wireless systems installed nowadays provide:
-
lower initial and recurring costs
-
greater flexibility and reliability than hardwired systems
-
no
reliance on third-party maintenance of systems
Wireless services can be applied to both water and wastewater facilities.
For more information, contact
ICE Technologies Manager, Dean Foote, PE
[ bio ].
Accounting For
MTBE Costs
MTBE
(methyl tertiary-butyl ether) is a strong source
of contention between the petrochemical industry and the drinking water
industry. A gasoline octane enhancer, the substance can make water
supplies undrinkable and is on the USEPA's list of potential carcinogens.
Both difficult and costly to remediate, MTBE water contamination boils down to accountability.
|
High Cost |
| Recent AWWA and American
Metropolitan Water Agency (AMWA) studies project MTBE remediation
costs between $29 billion and $85 billion. The reports focus
on public water supply well cleanup and multiple potential contamination sources
(e.g., craft engines
or air emissions), not just
leaking
underground storage tanks or pipelines. |
To that end, the water industry scored a recent
victory when President Bush signed sweeping Energy Bill legislation which,
although providing energy companies with billions of dollars in tax subsidies,
EXCLUDED the "Safe Harbor" provision. This clause would have
released gasoline manufacturers from current and future liability and
lawsuits.
Navigate to the AWWA web site
to read more about this topic including an MTBE Issue Paper.
Chesapeake Bay Nutrient Initiatives
In addition to facilitating activities at
this year's PMAA event, representatives from our firm will
speak on timely nutrient reduction issues.
Infrastructure Technology
Two geotechnical engineering presentations will be
delivered at this year's NDIA Conference by Vice President
Dave Wilson, PE, and
Senior Project Manager, Trent Dreese, PE. Dave's session focuses on
quantitatively engineered grout curtains. Trent will
discuss state-of-the art grouting computer monitoring, control and analysis.
For more information, read our previous
grouting project and
technology articles.
Integrated Design
ICE Technologies Manager,
Dean Foote, PE, RCDD,
[ bio ] will also speak at the upcoming
AIA/CEC "Piecing It Together"
Conference about the role of a registered communications distribution designer (RCDD)
and the benefits of integrating building systems. His presentation will address
telecommunications design and standards.
To learn more about wireless communications for water and
wastewater systems, read our related article under Regs/Programs.
»
American Society of
Civil Engineers
»
Association of
Metropolitan Water Agencies
»
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
» ICE
Technologies
» National
Energy Technology Laboratory
»
Water Environment
Federation
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