PERFORMANCE PROFILE, Troy, Missouri

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1: INITIAL OPERATIONS CHALLENGES

2: PROJECT BACKGROUND

3: ALLIANCE ACHIEVEMENTS

 

1: Initial Operations Challenges

  • Regulatory enforcement action against the City necessitated quick and continuing improvements to the operations approach.
  • The City is making a major investment in its wastewater infrastructure and needs a strategy to maintain those facilities. In the meantime, existing treatment plants must operate within regulatory guidelines until the new plant is in operation.
  • Excess biosolids from two treatment plants were emptied only once per year, overwhelming the 150,000 gallon holding tank.
  • The existing wastewater treatment facility has difficulty handling peak flows.
  • The collection system has problems with inflow and infiltration (I&I) which lead to hydraulic overloading of the treatment facilities.


2: Project Background

The existing Troy wastewater treatment facility consists of two extended aeration plants with a design capacity of 1.3 million gallons per day (mgd). Excess storm water can also be held and then discharged from a peak flow settling basin. Alliance Water Resources was contacted to shift the treatment program back into compliance after it was discovered that an employee had been acting outside of regulatory lines.

The City also saw the need for a comprehensive operations and maintenance approach for a new treatment facility. Scheduled for completion in 2006, the new treatment plant will utilize state-of-the-art membrane bioreactors, extensive screening and membrane straining to produce an effluent of exceptional quality. Alliance will assist the City in planning and budgeting at the wastewater utility and bring expertise to the City during the plant start-up process.


3: Alliance Achievements

  • Bringing the treatment plants into compliance was job one. Alliance accomplished this by following the existing permit requirements closely. Instead of the minimal operations schedule that was in place, the City now benefits from a structured schedule of daily testing and operations to ensure that the plant operates at maximum efficiency.
  • The biosolids holding tank is being kept at acceptable levels. Alliance presented the City with an analysis of different biosolids removal options and a new, more frequent sludge removal schedule has been established to reduce the load on the treatment plant.
  • Increased maintenance and monitoring of lift stations has improved overall issues with the collections system. A system of log sheets is being implemented that will provide information for scheduling predictive and preventative maintenance. In addition, a plan is being developed to detect the exact cause of inflow and infiltration issues and make necessary repairs.
  • Historical levels of maintenance were not sufficient to keep the City’s operations in satisfactory working order. Alliance is working with the City to establish routine equipment maintenance schedules and perform maintenance tasks in a timely manner.
  • Improved reporting functions for the wastewater department have been put into practice.
  • A safety program has been implemented for all utility employees that conforms to industry best practices.

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