With increasing development, ever-changing environmental regulations, and, in some cases, aging infrastructure and the impacts of climate change, it is becoming increasingly important to understand and mitigate the potential risks involved with wastewater treatment projects prior to the start of the project. It is key for civil engineers to approach these projects with proven tools and methods to ensure facilities are reliable and resilient.
Effectively planning and developing facilities that support the routine operations, maintenance tasks, and safety protocols found in most wastewater treatment plants’ standard operating procedures is critical. In addition, the future of wastewater treatment holds innovative designs that will improve efficiency and sustainability and save water. Some of today’s wastewater treatment plants can harness methane gas or water flow for renewable energy, convert solid waste to compost and fertilizer, or treat to a level that can increase the irrigation, lake, industrial, or drinking water supply. These designs will likely play a larger role in future plants as our populations continue to grow with a finite amount of natural resources available.
Revolutionizing Public Health and Sustainability Through Wastewater Treatment Engineering
Engaging water treatment engineering services can play a critical role in keeping our country healthy and preventing the spread of illnesses. For example, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC launched the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) to coordinate and build the nation’s capacity to track the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in wastewater samples collected across the country. This proved invaluable in providing “real-time” data to help quantify how many people had the virus in each area when reporting was limited. Civil engineering and early risk identification can help flesh out strategies to reduce the chances of waterborne disease.
As an example of just how important these facilities are, the majority of Americans, approximately 80 percent, rely on more than 16,000 publicly-owned wastewater treatment systems. An example of a water recycling project that Pape Dawson designed is the Sienna Regional wastewater plant, which is the first municipal membrane bioreactor (MBR) plant in the greater Houston area. This project won a 2021 PISCES award from the EPA for performance and innovation in creating environmental success. This plant produces high-quality treated water for irrigation and pond makeup use, which results in the community needing considerably less drinking water. Some day in the future, as growth continues, the community may utilize every drop of water that the plant produces, wasting nothing. Plants with this level of high-quality water recycling will be more common in the future.
Advancing Reclaimed Water Systems and Risk Mitigation
Pape Dawson also oversaw the implementation of one of the first reclaimed water systems in Texas, working closely with regulatory officials to gain approval before the state developed its current regulations. Since this wastewater treatment plant design in San Antonio, Texas, the firm has designed, planned and constructed dozens of other regional treatment and delivery systems, and hundreds of thousands of transmission lines to deliver water for beneficial reuse.
Understanding all of the risks associated with a project is key in the early stages of the planning and development process. For one, treatment facilities must adhere to strict national, state, and local guidelines to ensure the safety of the surrounding environment and population. Changing regulatory requirements, new technologies, and supply chain issues can also present challenges and risks. Civil engineers can help identify potential issues before the project begins, ensuring that all permits and approvals are sought ahead of the start.
The Future of Wastewater Treatment: Innovation and Sustainability
The future of wastewater treatment design holds many interesting and unique potential developments in sustainability and resource recovery. Advancements in technology may result in a growth in water reuse, allowing us to treat wastewater to a level that can be used in agriculture, industry, or even for drinking. Or perhaps we will find ourselves using energy generated during the treatment process or even improving processes to recover nutrients such as nitrogen or phosphorus for use in agriculture. We may even be on the cusp of seeing the increased improvement of nanotechnology for filtration and pollution removal, including personal care products and microplastics.
The country faces a number of challenges with aging infrastructure of all types, such as bridges, roads, and pipes. Wastewater plants are no different and need to be maintained, repaired, and replaced occasionally. A good example of this was a creative solution that Pape Dawson implemented to convert the treatment process of an existing city plant. This conversion, coupled with some detailed scheduling, allowed the capacity of the existing aeration basins to be doubled and one basin to be taken out of service at a time for draining, cleaning, and structural repairs. The plant was fully upgraded and restored while remaining at full capacity and can now more efficiently serve for another 20 years.
Pape-Dawson: Decades of Expertise in Water and Wastewater System Design
Pape-Dawson has decades of experience planning water wastewater systems for federal, state, municipal, commercial, and private projects. We continually navigate regulatory requirements, use best practices, and work with public staff and private stakeholders to create designs built to last, ensuring the needs of communities are met for generations.
Pape-Dawson’s Water Resources services are designed to address complex challenges related to water and wastewater infrastructure. Our teams specialize in the design of water distribution systems, wastewater collection and treatment systems, and water supply infrastructure to serve municipalities and private developments alike. Pape-Dawson is equipped to provide innovative solutions tailored to your project’s needs. Partner with us to ensure your water resources are managed efficiently and responsibly for long-term success.