1:
INITIAL OPERATIONS CHALLENGES
1: Initial Operations Challenges
To help the City respond to multiple
NPDES permit violations, Alliance was initially asked to
supply a corrective action team of experienced, licensed
plant operators on an emergency basis to bring the plant
into compliance within a critical eight-week timeframe.- An enforcement action and a building moratorium
necessitated quick and continuing improvjffjjhfhfjhements in effluent
quality. - To safeguard the integrity of the City’s
wastewater collection and treatment process, the City needed
to identify more effective ways of managing the wastewater
streams from two correctional facilities, the 2,600-bed
medium security Western Missouri Correctional Center and
the 1,500-bed maximum security Crossroads Correctional Center.
The Cameron wastewater treatment plant is an
oxidation ditch facility which utilizes grit removal, screening,
and secondary clarification prior to sludge dewatering and
digestion.
Plant facilities were substantially upgraded
in 1993, and in 1996 the plant underwent a major expansion
program that doubled its size to 1.6 mgd. In an effort to
build support for bond issues to finance these projects,
Alliance led a community involvement effort that included
numerous
public meetings, the development of informational materials,
and other awareness activities. Both bond issues passed
by
majorities as high as 80 percent.
During the design phase of these improvement
projects, Alliance acted as the City’s technical representative,
reviewing all engineering plans, and making numerous recommendations
that would result in further cost-savings, improved operating
efficiencies, and a better quality end product. Alliance determined,
for example, that a second headworks structure was not necessary,
resulting in a cost savings of more than $50,000.
- Immediately after coming
on board, an emergency crew of Alliance plant operators
improved the plant effluent quality and soon had the City’s
plant operating in full regulatory compliance. - Alliance assisted the City on negotiating
a “reasonable” consent decree with regulatory
officials. Alliance operated the facilities through the
consent decree period without any violations and allowed
for the City’s continued growth. Since then, Alliance
has successfully guided the plant through two major upgrade
and expansion programs. - A successful biosolids program brought on-stream
by Alliance provides for beneficial reuse of the wastewater
byproduct on agricultural land. - Alliance has advised and assisted the City
in negotiations with the correctional centers for pretreatment
of their high strength waste. - The Cameron Plant was nominated for the Missouri
Water Environment Association’s Treatment Plant of
the Year (in the large facility category) for 2000. - Alliance’s Plant Manager for Cameron
received the Missouri Water Environment Association’s
Plant Operator of the Year for 2000. - The Alliance Cameron Division received
the 2001 “Governor’s Award for Environmental
Excellence and Pollution Prevention” for efforts in
education and outreach. - The Cameron Plant received the Missouri Water Environment Association’s Biosolids Management Award for 2003.
- Wastewater staff collect data and manage odor complaints with the goal of participating in an odor study. The study will focus on odor dispersion modeling to discover plant improvements to reduce odor in this fast growing community.
- Converting all fields in the land application program to a GPS field mapping system is the most recent project for the City. The end result will provide better monitoring of nutrient inputs/outputs and maintain accurate soil test site locations as well as better define buffer zones and other useful applications.
- Alliance performed a use attainability analysis (UAA) in preparation for upcoming regulatory requirements in 2005.