Water Online

SEP 2016

Water Innovations gives Water and Wastewater Engineers and end-users a venue to find project solutions and source valuable product information. We aim to educate the engineering and operations community on important issues and trends.

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By Allison Hirsch Fore B eginning in May 2016, the world's largest wastewater treatment facility, the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant (WRP), became home to the world's largest nutrient recovery facility, and the impact of its cutting-edge technology will reverberate almost 1,000 miles away. About The Stickney WRP The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) owns and operates the Cicero, IL-based plant. Governed by a nine-member Board of Commissioners, an executive director leads almost 2,000 employees who maintain the Stickney WRP and six other plants, along with 22 pumping stations, 35 flood control and detention reservoirs, 560 miles of intercepting sewers and force mains fed by approximately 10,000 local sewer system connections, and 76.1 miles of navigable waterways. Stickney itself is home to nearly 400 employees. The Stickney WRP serves 2.3 million people in a 260-square- mile area, including the central part of Chicago and 46 suburban communities. It encompasses 413 acres and treats up to 1 million gallons of water per minute, the equivalent of pumping two Olympic- size swimming pools. On average, the Stickney WRP cleans 700 million gallons of water per day with the capacity to treat up to 1.44 billion gallons per day. The plant was constructed in two phases; the west side of the plant was placed into service in 1930, followed by the southwest portion in 1939. From the time raw sewage enters the plant, it takes about 12 hours to process, clean, and release the water to the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The process has evolved since the MWRD was formed in 1889 as the Sanitary District of Chicago. From its first directive to eliminate pollution in Lake Michigan, the source of the area's drinking water, the MWRD's mission expanded to improving the local water environment through the construction of its many facilities and water treatment operations. The MWRD pursued and received statutory authority to provide stormwater management services for Cook County in 2004. In the ensuing years, the mission has evolved even further — to recovering critical resources from what was previously considered waste. The Decision To Build A Phosphorus Recovery Facility Excess phosphorus is the limiting nutrient in fresh water across the globe and can threaten to endanger the water environment. Phosphorus enters bodies of water from a number of sources, including urban water treatment facilities. Excess phosphorus in waterways can cause algae to grow and bloom, creating toxic conditions that threaten aquatic life and severely limit recreational enjoyment of lakes and rivers. As a result, the U.S. EPA has mandated that the state of Illinois reduce phosphorus runoff in receiving streams by 45 percent. By implementing nutrient-reducing technologies at its three largest plants (Stickney WRP, O'Brien WRP in Skokie, IL, and the Calumet WRP on Chicago's South Side), the MWRD will achieve 20 percent of the state's reduction goal by as early as 2017. As a water industry leader, the MWRD seized the opportunity to lead the nutrient-reduction effort. Accordingly, these factors led the MWRD to implement an effective phosphorus management strategy and hire Black and Veatch to construct the $31 million facility. The Selection Of Ostara The MWRD explored an array of nutrient recovery alternatives before selecting Ostara's Pearl® process. The Pearl process provides a closed-loop solution that recovers phosphorus and nitrogen to form a high-value fertilizer that generates revenue for wastewater treatment facilities while helping meet environmental regulations. Traditionally, when wastewater treatment plants remove phosphorus from their discharge stream, the nutrients are recycled into their system, creating struvite. Struvite not only clogs pipes and valves, which reduces flow, but requires costly maintenance. Although chemical additives can temporarily relieve struvite problems, it is a costly solution that also generates solid waste that requires disposal. The MWRD installed three Pearl 10000 reactors with a production 8 wateronline.com n Water Innovations Measuring The Impact Of Phosphorus Recovery — From The Midwest To The Gulf Of Mexico The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) has taken the lead in transitioning its wastewater treatment plants to water resource recovery facilities, resulting in environmental, economic, and social benefits that stretch well beyond the Windy City. One of the three reactors installed at the world's largest phosphorus recovery facility at the Stickney WRP.

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