1 / 23

Wastewater Management in Albuquerque

Wastewater Management in Albuquerque. J. Steven Glass City of Albuquerque. Wastewater Objectives. Protect Public Health Prevent exposure to disease-causing microbes Prevent chemical contamination of drinking water Protect Aquatic Environment

geraldt
Download Presentation

Wastewater Management in Albuquerque

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Wastewater Management in Albuquerque J. Steven Glass City of Albuquerque

  2. Wastewater Objectives • Protect Public Health • Prevent exposure to disease-causing microbes • Prevent chemical contamination of drinking water • Protect Aquatic Environment • Prevent overgrowth of algae from release of nutrient chemicals  Oxygen depletion • Prevent release of toxic chemicals to streams

  3. Wastewater Laws and Regulations

  4. Wastewater Law • The NM Water Quality Act • History • Adopted 1967 (NMSA Chapter 74 Article 6) • Last revised 2001 • Provisions • Created the NM Water Quality Control Commission • Required WQCC Regulations to issue discharge permits and certify EPA-issued permits • Established operator certification requirements

  5. Wastewater Law • The Clean Water Act (33 USC 1251 et seq.) • History • Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 • Amended in 1977, reauthorized in 1987 • Provisions • Authorizes US Environmental Protection Agency to set quality standards for discharges to navigable water of the US • Provides funding for treatment plant construction • Permits citizen suits against polluters

  6. Wastewater Regulations • National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System • 40 CFR Part 121 • Requires dischargers to obtain permit from EPA (or delegated state agency) • Provides civil and criminal penalties

  7. Wastewater Regulations • National Industrial Pretreatment Program • 40 CFR Part 141 • Requires municipal wastewater authorities to issue and enforce permits to industrial dischargers • Establishes monitoring and reporting requirements

  8. Wastewater Regulations • Sewage Sludge Regulations • 40 CFR Part 503 • Sets limits on sludge quality (chemical, biological) • Establishes monitoring and reporting requirements • Defines management practice requirements • 40 CFR Part 501 • Sets guidelines for state sludge regulatory programs

  9. Wastewater Regulations • Methods for Analyzing Pollutants • 40 CFR Part 136 • Establishes laboratory procedures for monitoring water and wastewater quality • Defines procedure for developing alternative methods

  10. Albuquerque Wastewater

  11. Albuquerque Wastewater • Albuquerque Wastewater Production • 56 million gallons per day • 85% residential, 15% industrial/commercial • 5th largest tributary to the Rio Grande in NM • ~100 gallons per day per person • ~50% of potable water delivered is returned • Remainder is used for irrigation, cooling, car washing

  12. Albuquerque Wastewater • Raw Wastewater Quality • Organic/solid contaminants ~350 mg/L (0.035%) • Toxic metals/organics ~5 mg/L (0.0005%) • Pure water ~99.965% • Incoming pollutant mass: ~80 tons/day • Pollutant removal efficiency: 98%

  13. Albuquerque NPDES Permit • Current permit issued in 1994 for 5 years • Limits dependent on: • Treatment plant upgrade project (completed 1997) • Flow in the Rio Grande • Protection of downstream users (Isleta Pueblo) • Guaranteed Flow Agreement • Contract with MRGCD, ended 12/2001 • Ensures dilution during non-irrigation season

  14. Albuquerque NPDES Limits

  15. Wastewater Treatment

  16. The Albuquerque Process CO2 H2S N2 HOCl- SO2 Sewers Rio Grande H2O+C+N+S Settling & Aeration H2O Heat Microbes CO2 O2 (Biosolids) NH3+ Power Fermentation Composting CH4 CO2 Humus

  17. SWRP Liquid Process Train Sedimentation C6H14 Biomass + CO2 NH3+ NO2 Norg NH3+ Mixing Aeration NO2  N2 Solids Handling Sedimentation

  18. SWRP Effluent Recycling Southside Water To Rio Grande Reclamation Plant Additional Treatment For turf irrigation Southside Water Reclamation Plant

  19. SWRP Reuse Project Details • Current • 0.8 MG/day • Sand filter • On-site uses • Future • 5.6 MG/day • Tertiary process • Off-site distribution

  20. SWRP Solids Handling Diesel Generators Anaerobic Fermentation (30 days) C6H14 + H2O CH4 + CO2 2.2 MW Biosolids Disposal or Reuse (150 t/day) Aeration Blowers Centrifuges

  21. Biosolids Disposition • Dual-Natured Material • Rich source of nitrogen, organic matter, trace nutrients • Concentrated waste, may contain disease-causing microbes • Management Challenge • Capture beneficial attributes • Prevent threat to public health & environment

  22. Biosolids Disposition • Surface Disposal [1980] • High-rate land application, with tilling to cover • Inexpensive, but salt prevents range grass growth • Public access control necessary • Composting for Reuse [1992] • Dry, carbonaceous matter added (straw, chips) • Microbial heat kills disease organisms • Expensive, but yields offsetting revenue ($12/ton)

  23. Biosolids Disposition • Range Land Restoration [2001] • Low-rate land application, no tilling • Solar heat and drying kill disease organisms • Research since 1985 with USFS shows • Runoff eliminated • Increased grass and forage production • Suppressed growth of noxious weeds • Public/private partnership with Albuquerque cattle owner and Open Space started 10/01/01

More Related