This new WERF award recognizes organizations that have made improvements to wastewater and stormwater collection, storage or treatment operations, facilities, or processes by applying WERF research. The City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works is one of two organizations to receive the award in its inaugural year.

The TIRE project is the nation’s first full-scale demonstration project of an innovative technology to convert biosolids into clean energy by deep-well placement and geothermal biodegradation. “The Bureau of Sanitation is honored to have been selected by the Water Environment Research Foundation for this award. The Terminal Island Renewable Energy project improves air quality and reduces greenhouse gases by using wastewater treatment byproducts as a renewable resource in an innovative and environmentally safe manner,” said Bureau of Sanitation Director Enrique C. Zaldivar.

Placing biosolids in deep subsurface formations using state-of-the art technology further protects groundwater as opposed to land application. TIRE also reduces truck traffic and associated exhaust emissions, pollutants, odors, and dust by 520,000 miles per year. There is a reduction in land application of biosolids in an exposed environment of 54,750 tons per year. Also, there is elimination from the atmosphere of 84 tons of NOX and 13 tons of carbon monoxide (CO) per year. Currently, WERF is working with the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation and others to identify other parts of the country where this work can be replicated.

A team of WERF volunteers, who themselves are some of the most recognized individuals in the water quality industry, selected the award recipients from a field of many well-qualified organizations. “We encourage those applicants who did not receive this year’s award to re-apply next year, emphasizing the progress they have made in their implementation efforts,” states Selection Committee Chair and WERF Board Member Joseph Zuback of Global Water Advisors, Inc.

Additional information on this award can be found at www.werf.org or www.lacity.org.

The lawsuit was brought against the county because the county’s flood control district exceeded the pollutant limits of its MS4 permit. However, the county claims that upstream neighbors are responsible for some of the pollutant loads. There are concerns that this ruling could lead to litigation between municipalities regarding who is responsible for stormwater pollutants.

The biggest conference and exhibition in the wastewater and stormwater world is coming to Los Angeles Oct 15-19. WEF has kindly compiled a list of the California presenters (wow over 100 people !) – how many CWEA members can you spot?

Click here for a list of California speakers and session numbers (Excel) >
Click here to access My WEFTEC Planner >

“Wednesday October 19th is packed with forty powerful technical sessions on the hottest topics for Southern Californians, everything from emerging contaminants to bioenergy and my session, Green LA Stormwater! If members in the Southern Region of CWEA only go to one day of WEFTEC in Los Angeles – this is it! Registration is open at www.weftec.org – What’s in store on Wednesday?

• For treatment people the talks cover fixed film, foaming, air emissions, clarifiers and modeling.
• Recycled water proponents will discuss emerging contaminants, industrial conservation and reuse.
• Sustainability strategies, climate resilience, renewable energy and bioenergy are important now.
• Membranes, brine, nutrients and microconstituents round out the advanced treatment needs.
• In today’s economy, the sessions on CIPs, elected officials future forecasts and revenue structures will help us “do more with less”.
• Making the most in existing collection systems, new technology and modelling protects our buried assets.
• Urban runoff, wet weather treatment and green infrastructure are the big challenge as the rainy season begins.
• Industry has specialized biological, anaerobic and reuse treatment technologies.
• Scientists will discuss advances with nitrous oxide,microconstituents, algae, pathogensand disinfection.

Let’s bring out the locals — See you downtown at the convention center!”

Water for People is having two fun and exciting fundraising events at WEFTEC. Help support the great folks at Water for People and have some fun too!

Monday night will be their big fundraising party at the The Conga Room at LA Live.

You can purchase tickets directly from Water for People:

• Sun – Oct 16th – Water for People Bike ride Fundraiser
  When: Sunday, October 16, 2011
  Time: 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
  Where: Bikes and Hikes U.S.A.
  Cost: $75 for riders with bike & helmet / $100 for riders renting a bike & helmet
  http://www.waterforpeople.org/get-involved/special-events/weftec-2011/weftec-bike-ride.html
  Email contact: georgepatrickatl@bellsouth.net
• Mon – Oct 17th – Water for People’s Party With a Purpose
  Time: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  Where: The Conga Room at L.A. Live
  Tickets: $45 in advance, $50 at the door
  Click here to purchase tickets on their webstore

A. Case Scenario
A 200 acre Biosolids Compost Facility that has 100,000 cubic yards of
composting, curing, and finished compost on site sits next to an earthen
levee and just up-gradient from a sensitive wetland type ecosystem. The
levee is expected to breach and for several hours 5,000 CFS of agricultural
runoff and snow melt will run through the site with the normal runoff
controls getting overloaded. It is expected that most of this now further
contaminated water will reach the site fence line and if not stopped or
successfully treated will devastate the wetland. The Army Corps of Engineers
will be repairing the breach within 12 hours and therefore the solution to
the problem should be considered temporary. The natural slope of the
facility would channel the flow to an area of no more than 100 yards wide at
the fence line.
 
Your team has been asked to design a system to control and treat the runoff
for solids, nutrients and bacteria before releasing it to the wetland, if
necessary. You are asked to design a system to control and mitigate the
nutrient rich water, and you and your team will be asked to construct and
run the emergency water treatment system component of the overall design at
the competition to demonstrate the system’s removal efficiencies. The
overall design will have to demonstrate the control strategies and removal
efficiencies of your system, in addition to the emergency water treatment
system.
 
Questions: WEFWastewaterChallenge@wef.org
WEF Staff: Dcrilley@wef.org

Stenstrom’s extensive editorial background includes having authored or co-authored 160 papers in peer-reviewed journals (including 37 in WER), authored or co-authored more than 50 technical reports, presented or co-authored 279 papers at field-related conferences and seminars, developed 70 research grants and contracts, as well as serving as a WER editor since 2001 and as chair of the WER Board of Editorial Review since 2006. He also has received numerous water quality awards, holds five patents, and is a member of WEF and many other water quality organizations. He has been a registered professional civil engineer in the State of California since 1982 and has been a board-certified environmental engineer of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers since 1989.

As WER’s Editor-in-Chief, Stenstrom will be responsible for guiding the editorial policies of the journal and ensuring that these adhere to the highest standards of quality and integrity. In addition, he will work with Associate Editors and an Editorial Board to attract the highest quality papers from around the world and oversee timely review of manuscripts. He also will work with a staff Managing Editor to achieve monthly publication of the journal in both print and online formats.

Mike Selna, AAEE Vice President (lt) Attendee (ctr) Joseph S. Cavarretta, AAEE Executive Director (rt)

By Wendy Wert
LABS Director

On October 13, 2009 the American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE) hosted a breakfast and networking event at WEFTEC09 in Orlando, FL.  The AAEE/AIDIS/WEF “Trends in Wastewater Treatment” event drew attendees from a broad spectrum of the environmental profession.  AAEE President, Debra R. Reinhart Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, welcomed attendees and introduced the featured speaker, James L. Barnard Ph.D., P.E., BCEE.  Dr. Barnard is recognized internationally as “the Father of Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR).” A celebrated 40-year career includes groundbreaking work that forms the basis for all BNR process configurations in use today. His current research on membrane and biofilm technology is leading to innovations that may reduce BNR plant size by more than two-thirds. 

Dr. Barnard led environmental professionals on an entertaining historical journey through wastewater treatment.  His presentation highlighted the discovery of the activated sludge process, major trends in wastewater treatment, drivers for Research and Development, wastewater as a resource, and possible future scenarios.  

Dr. Barnard correlates the beginning of the environmental engineering profession with the 1914 Arden and Lockett publication of The Activated Sludge Process.  The activated sludge process continued as the, predominate wastewater treatment method into the 1970’s.  Then the industry predicted the end of the activated sludge process in favor of newly introduced physical/chemical processes.  Successful examples of these are tertiary high lime at Lake Tahoe and ammonia stripping at Pretoria.  Other types of physical/chemical processes introduced at this time include chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT), ion exchange for ammonia removal, recalcination, and granular activated carbon (GAC).  These physical/chemical processes continued to gain popularity until 1975. 

In 1975 the Goudkoppies plant in Johannesburg, South Africa was completed.  This was the first full-scale plant in the world specifically designed for high-rate biological nitrogen removal without the addition of chemicals.  With the inclusion of anaerobic zones (1974), the plant achieved 85% nitrogen removal and 90% phosphorus removal.  This triumph marked 60 years of the activated sludge process and renewed the popularity of this process for wastewater treatment applications. 

Dr. Barnard then discussed the introduction of fixed growth systems such as moving bed biological reactors (MBBR) and rotating biological contactors (RBC).  Denitrification is possible in these systems with the addition of a carbon source such as methanol.  Once again Dr. Barnard reported with a smile, that the end of the activated sludge system as the, predominate wastewater treatment technology was forecast. 

However, technological advances such as the Integrated Fixed-film Activated Sludge (IFAS) and Membrane Bioreactors (MBR) once again renewed the applicability of the activated sludge process by providing provides for additional biomass within a wastewater treatment facility.  Industry practice usually focuses on increasing the bacterial population to meet the system kinetic needs. However, designers often encounter clarifier solids loading limitations that put an upper limit on the amount of biomass that can be carried in the suspended growth system. IFAS systems and MBR’s provide physical mechanisms that support additional bacterial populations in the activated sludge process. Once again the activated sludge process has been revived and coupled with technological advances. 

Dr. Barnard then discussed the motivation for technological advances within the field of environmental engineering.  These include increased stress to natural resources due to population growth, the need to protect water resources from eutrophication, the need to recover energy, the need to recover resources, the need to reduce endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), the need to reduce green house gasses (GHG).  Most of these are correlated to the primary driver for advancement, which is our need to meet the needs of an increasing global population with limited global resources. 

Not only has the population expanded but the global culture is changing.  For example it is predicted that by 2035 60% of the global population will live in cities.  The World Watch Institute estimates that in 2007 greater than 50% of the population is urban.

Dr. Barnard then shared an interesting consequence of the stress to the environment.  As it turns out, presently the receiving water to the North of Johannesburg is experiencing eutrophication.  Ironically, Johannesburg is not using the BNR process that they are famous for pioneering.  So how do we as environmental practitioners contribute to the solution of these global issues?  Dr. Barnard mentioned the limits of technology (LOT) counterpoint and said that this is a meaningless argument and should not be used.  In the absence of limits however, there are some constraints must be considered as we move forward with advanced technological solutions.  Viable solutions must be sustainable and economically justifiable.

Responsible stewards will conduct least cost analyses (LCA) studies that include components that address the rationality of regulatory targets (N limits of 2.5 mg/L, P limits of 0.01 mg/L) in light of their impact to the receiving water.  For example in inland freshwater, it has been well established that phosphorus leads to algal growth.  That said, responsible professionals must design systems that use reliable information to protect resources.

 Unaddressed violations damage waterways and send the wrong message to citizens, developers, and neighboring localities.  The example of the Occoquan Reservoir in Virginia was given.  Up to 85% of the flow to the reservoir comes from water purification plants and in 1986, 60% of all streams in the Occoquan Watershed were classified as high quality.  Eutrification has impacted the viability of this resource, in an era when the profession is in possession of the knowledge and technology to mitigate these circumstances.

Dr. Barnard introduced the energy discussion by stating that scientific knowledge is sometimes contradictory, which can inhibit action.  To illustrate, in 1968 the scientific community was concerned that we were likely to experience global cooling now in 2009, there is concern for global warming.  Irrespective of the path forward, it is good practice to design efficient treatment systems. 

Most of the energy used in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) is required for nitrification.  That said, Dr. Barnard suggested that we look at the energy use at WWTPs in the context of other demands in order to appropriately assess the energy use required to protect resources in the context of other energy demands.  For example the BNR process requires 40 kilowatt-hours (KWh) per person per year, whereas, a two person household typically consumes 14,000 KWh per person per year and the energy cost to pump water from northern to southern California is 355 KWh per person per year.  The protective resource potential of BNR processes may justify the associated energy requirements.

Dr. Barnard then highlighted future resource recovery opportunities, such as urine separation, energy recovery, nutrient recovery, and water reuse.  Urine in wastewater contains 80% of the N and 50% of the P yet makes up only 1% of the overall volume of domestic wastewater.  Effective separation of grey water (shower, kitchen), yellow water (urine and flushwater), and brown water (faeces and flushwater) could lead to more efficient design of wastewater treatment trains that allow for focused specific treatment for the constituents of concern.  Anaerobic digestion of solids coupled with power generation could reduce the energy usage of these systems.  End uses such as composting and struvite retrieval could lead to recovery of both N and P for beneficial reuse.  Undeniably the most valuable product of WWTP’s is recycled water, which can be used for industrial, agricultural, and even potable applications, such as in Windhoek Namibia where water is precious.

Dr. Barnard concluded by asking if the activated sludge process would be around another 100 years.  This is very likely, but with innovations such as MBRs to reduce the footprint, addition of membrane filtration components, coupling with power recovery, nutrient recovery, and water recovery opportunities.     One example of technological developments is the use of granular activated sludge in the Anammox (Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation) process, in Gansbaai South Africa.  At this facility influent COD (10,000 ppm) is reduced by 99% (<100 ppm), N (200 ppm) is reduced by 90% (<10 ppm), and dissolved P (25 ppm) is reduced by 96% (<1 ppm).  There are currently four full-scale operations.

James H. Clark, Vice President, Black & Veatch (credit: CWEA)

The Water Environment Federation earlier this month announced Jim Clark,  Black & Veatch Vice President and LABS’ President in 1991, as this year’s winner of the Engelbrecht International Achievement Award. The award will be given next month during a ceremony at WEFTEC in Orlando.

According to WEF “the Engelbrecht International Achievement Award is named in memory of Richard S. Engelbrecht, WEF President from 1977-1978. The award recognizes sustained and significant contributions to the furtherance and improvement of WEF’s international activities.”

Jim is Past-President of WEF and active in many of the Federation’s activities, including supporting the expansion of student and young professional outreach and activities.

Black & Veatch is a LABS’ sponsor.

Read Jim’s complete profile on the WEF website.

2009 WEF Excellence Awards

WEF recognizes the importance of utility participation in making WEFTEC “The Water Quality Event” of the year, and is aggressively working to ensure that utilities can participate.  Only WEFTEC has a discount program specifically designed to ensure that utilities can participate.

WEF Utility Partnership Program