Project Summary

Constantine Engineering is currently providing consulting engineering, engineering design, and services during bidding for improvements to the Dry Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility, Decatur Utilities.

Project Includes:

• Odor Control
• Operational Improvements
• Improved Complete Mixed Activated Sludge Process with ceramic fine bubble diffusers and high rpm turbine blowers
• Improved sludge pumping
• Additional sludge thickening
  Improved Anaerobic Digestions
• Replacement of Belt Filter Presses with more efficient centrifuges
• Long Range planning for Bio-solids Management including the development of a monofill for ultimate disposal of bio-solids
  

Improvements to the Dry Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility
Decatur Alabama

Constantine Engineering has provided consulting engineering,engineering design, and services during bidding for improvements to the Dry Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility in Decatur Alabama. The Dry Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility is a 36.0 million gallon per day (mgd) complete-mix activated-sludge wastewater treatment facility. The treatment process includes screening, grit removal, preaeration, primary clarification, aeration/fine bubble diffusion, secondary clarification, basic disinfection and effluent disposal to the Tennessee River. The facility includes primary sludge (PS) return activated sludge (RAS) and waste activated sludge (WAS) pumping. Primary sludge is pumped directly to a series of anaerobic digesters. The waste activated sludge is pumped to a sludge thickener before being discharging to the anaerobic digesters. Digested sludge then flows by gravity to a sludge holding tank from which is it pumped to the belt filter press building where it is dewatered. The dewatered sludge is land applied or disposed of in a sanitary landfill. Decatur Utilities hired Constantine Engineering to assist with several issues at the facility. Issues included severe odor, odor-related corrosion, sludge pumping, inadequate oxygen transfer in the complete-mixed system, and biosolids management.

Constantine was able to successfully eliminate the severe odor and odor-related corrosion by installing a chemical feed system and adjustments to the operation of the primary clarifiers. Improvements to the aeration system for the complete-mixed reactors included the installation of ceramic fine-bubble diffusers and high-rpm turbine blowers. Constantine also developed a phased approach to the bio-solids management issues, which includes the replacement of the belt filter presses with more efficient centrifuges, improvements to the sludge thickening and digestion system, and eventually the development of a mono-fill for ultimate bio-solids disposal. Constantine assisted with repair and replacement of the plant components previously damaged due to previous hydrogen sulfide related odor problems.

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