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Case Study Coming Clean With The Environment With population and energy costs rising, Long Island wastewater treatment plants figured out a cost-effective way to control pollution and conserve resources. By Jon Richens L the conservation of resources and energy, the state of New ong Island is a long, slender island, located directly York implemented the New York State Energy Research and east of Manhattan in the southern tip of New York Development Authority (NYSERDA). The role of NYSERDA State. In the 20th century, the north shore of Long was to provide support to groups, through grant funding, for Island earned the nickname of "Gold Coast" and the purpose of testing, as well as the full-scale implementation attracted large private estates of the likes of the Vanderbilts, of new energy-saving technologies. NYSERDA joined forces Roosevelts, Whitneys, Charles Pratt, J.P. Morgan, F.W. with the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation Woolworth, and others. The western end of the island (EFC) to help upgrade local wastewater treatment plants includes Brooklyn and Queens, while the eastern tip includes with energy-efficient technologies that could meet the morethe famous Hamptons. stringent effluent limits. Long Island has always been the getaway place for the rich and famous of New York. The beautiful Pilot Program vistas of the north shore, white sandy Today, the plant is In early 2002, a local Long Island newspabeaches of the outer barrier islands, and achieving high-quality per company was in need of a wastewater world-class fishing attract people from all treatment technology that could efficienteffluent with total over the state. As more and more people ly and cost-effectively treat their waste take on a longer commute in exchange nitrogen averaging stream to the levels required for subsurfor a home outside the congested cities, around 3 mg/L. face discharge. Their existing activated the population continues to increase. sludge system, followed by a denitrificaLong Island has moved up to be the mosttion filter, was struggling to meet the required effluent. The populated island in the U.S., and the 17th most-populous waste stream was made up of a combination of sewage, bioisland in the world. degradable inks, solvents, and cleaners from the printing proWith the explosion of the population, public utilities have cess. In 2003, the company, in conjunction with NYSERDA, needed to be upgraded and/or replaced. Many of the more entered into the testing phase of a combined fixed-film and obvious utilities were improved to support the growth. activated sludge process from WesTech Engineering. This However, with any increases in population, the waste technology — the STM-Aerotor — could be easily retrofitted load that a given environment can absorb may be tested into the existing aeration basins with minimal modifications and, in many cases, overloaded. In an effort to protect the to the structures. Following a sixpublic, beaches, local aquatic life, month pilot program, the technoland the groundwater of Long ogy was deemed feasible for saving Island, the local environmental energy and providing complete agencies and Suffolk County nitrification and denitrification for worked together to develop new this difficult waste stream. Today, discharge standards for local the completed plant includes an wastewater treatment plants. anoxic zone, STM-Aerotors, and Due to the growing population membranes. in the region, resources were being consumed at an ever-increasing Municipal Application rate. The price of electricity, in Even before the above treatment particular, climbed significantly plant was beginning its testing — its demand growing faster than its supply. In an effort to A close view of the combined fixed-film and activated sludge phase, the Village of Greenport, on the northeast tip of Long Island, find new technologies to help in process in action. 38 wateronline.com ■ Water Online The Magazine