New 40,000 GPD spray irrigation facility with pump station, force main, sequential batch reactor treatment system, storage lagoon, and 25-acre spray field.

Problems:

• Gates County purchased a 25,000 GPD land application treatment system constructed in 1988 from the North Carolina Department of Corrections upon closure of the Gates Correctional Facility. NCDEQ downgraded the system to 15,000 GPD shortly after acquisition due to the lack of maintenance of the spray field.
• The project was funded through CDBG, EDA, NC Rural Center, and Golden Leaf Foundation grants to create jobs at a new development “Merchant’s Commerce Park,” of which the majority of the jobs would be created by a new assisted living center. Phase One of the development was completed by another engineer, but the County did not have sufficient treatment capacity to support the development, and most of the grants were about to expire.
• Find suitable available land within a reasonable distance of the development to construct a new spray irrigation wastewater treatment facility.
• Risk of sewer moratorium by NCDEQ resulting in claw-back provisions of the various grants due to being unable to fulfill the required jobs promised.

Solutions:

• Obtained extensions of the grants from the funding agencies to allow time to find and construct a suitable solution.
• Provided preliminary soil testing of multiple nearby sites to find land which consisted of adequate soil conditions to support a land application treatment system.
• Provided detailed soil analysis, hydrogeologic modeling, boundary, and topographic survey, design, and permitting of new 40,000 GPD land application system with SBR treatment and 25-acre spray field.
• Provided bid and award, construction administration, construction observation, and grant administration of multiple federal and state grants.

Results:

Gates County was able to sustain the development, which created much-needed jobs in the community and avoid the grant clawback provisions. The new system, combined with the existing land application system, is now able to treat 55,000-GPD.

Installation of a new 150,000 package treatment facility in 2013 to replace existing package facility constructed in the 1970s. Retrofit of the old package plant to provide a total of 300,000 GPD of treatment capacity.

Problems:

• Existing 150,000 GPD package treatment facility was in poor repair with no redundancy, at risk of catastrophic failure.
• Town’s primary pump station was experiencing significant difficulties due to age and the need to maintain by-pass pumping to continue operations.

Solutions:

• A new 150,000 GPD package treatment facility with new tertiary filters and UV disinfection was designed and permitted by two MESCO Engineers having long relationships with the Town while working at another engineering firm and funded through the NCDEQ SRF program. The project was transferred to MESCO and MESCO successfully completed the bid and award, construction administration, and observation of the new facility.
• MESCO assisted the Town of Bunn with an application to USDA for the retrofit of the existing package treatment plant and the construction of a new pump station to replace the one which is currently being by-passed. The Town of Bunn, with the assistance of MESCO, was able to obtain a $1,282,000 grant/loan from USDA, of which $846,000 or 66% was a grant.
• MESCO provided the Preliminary Engineering Report and Environmental document via USDA SEARCH grant, the project was successfully bid and awarded and is now under construction. MESCO provided the design, bid and award phase services, in addition to assisting the Town and their bond counsel with the interim financing. MESCO is currently providing construction administration and observation for this project.

Results:

Upon completion of the project, the Town will have a fully functioning 350,000 GPD waste treatment facility and a new pump station which will reduce their O&M costs,  All this with minimal debt service, which would impact the ratepayers within the Town of Bunn.

Newport, NC, Carteret County: Expansion of the existing 0.60 MGD extended aeration activated sludge wastewater treatment facility.

Problems:

• The Town of Newport, due to its proximity to North Carolina’s southern beaches and U.S. Marine Corp Station Cherry Point, has and continues to grow in population and was unable to serve this growing population without additional capacity.
• Existing equipment was outdated and required much maintenance, which taxed the financial and manpower resources of the Town.
• The facility discharges into the Newport River, a tributary to the Neuse Estuary, which was and continues to be susceptible to algae blooms from excess nitrogen.

Solutions:

• MESCO assisted the Town in the acquisition of CWSRF Loan.
• Provided the Town with the Engineering Report, Environmental Information Document and NPDES Permit.
• Provided the Town with an innovative design with provisions for future total nitrogen discharge limits while utilizing technology such as aeration basins and clarifiers familiar to plant operators.
• Provided the Town with bid and award, construction administration/observation services during construction.
• Assisted the Town with the start-up of the new facilities.

Results:

The Town of Newport has a facility that is easy to maintain and operate, provides the additional capacity needed, and is ready for future nitrogen limits.

Albemarle, NC, Stanly County: Improvements to the existing 40-MGD extended aeration, activated sludge wastewater treatment facility.

Problems:

• The City of Albemarle received multiple Notice of Violations (NOVs) of their NPDES permit due to excessive solids being discharged from the aging facility constructed in the 1930s and renovated in the 1960s and 70s. The facility entered into a Special Order of Consent (SOC) to address the issues with the effluent quality.
• Excessive grit within the existing chlorine contact basin due to ineffective effluent filters and poor aeration due to worn floating aerators.
• Inefficient pumping of the influent, sludge recycle and effluent flows due to worn screw pumps caused by excessive grit in the system.
• The circular clarifier mechanism severely was worn causing inefficient collection and recycle of activated sludge.

Solutions:

• MESCO assisted in securing funding through NCDEQ-Division of Water Infrastructure NC Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF).
• MESCO worked with the City in the preparation of the Engineering Report, Environmental Information Document, and modification to the NPDES permit.
• MESCO designed the modifications and improvements to the facility to remove the grit from the various basins, replace four clarifier mechanisms, replace screw pumps at the influent, and sludge recycle pump stations, replace the non-function filter with new state-of-the art rotary disc filters, and replacement of the inoperable sluice gates and replacement of the floating aerators within the aeration basins to provide better mixing. MESCO also provided the Construction Administration/Observation for the project.

Results:

The City of Albemarle was able to comply with its SOC and meet the effluent limits as defined in the NPDES permit, while the improvements vastly increased the efficiency of the units and provided for safe operation with greater operator flexibility.

“…Municipal Engineering helped us with two WWTP upgrades…As to Municipal, it goes all the way back to Jim Woodie who is very knowledgeable about the industry and then to Ben Clawson who understands what is on paper but also the reality of the situation…They were with us through planning, design, install, inspections, warranty issues – they were with us all the way…” ~ Brandon Plyler, City of Albemarle Public Works