Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion
Town of Newburgh, Indiana
In 1991, the town completed a plant expansion, which doubled the capacity of the facility built in the early 1970s. This expansion was designed to meet the needs of the area for a 20-year period. However, growth has far exceeded expectations, resulting in a need for additional expansion only 8 years after the completion of construction.
The expansion project was divided into two parts, the first of which was a new mile long, 48″ diameter outfall to the Ohio River, facilitating the abandonment of an existing outfall to Cypress Creek. The second part included the doubling of the existing plant up to 4.6 MGD. Technical features of the expansion included a sequential batch reactor, a biosolids facility, and a SCADA system.
In 2007, Commonwealth completed a Preliminary Engineering Report to expand the plant with similar technology to 7.36 MGD. Before the expansion, this treatment plant had a five-cell sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for activated sludge treatment, chlorine disinfection, and aerobic sludge digestion. This expansion project will increase the number of sequencing batch reactor tanks from five (5) to eight (8), therefore increasing the plant capacity from 4.6 to 7.36 mgd. Peak flow capacity will be increased from 14.8 to 19.0 MGD.
The project headworks will be improved by adding a third moving filter screen, a new vortex-type grit removal system, and a Parshall flume flow meter. The chlorine disinfection system will be replaced with a new open channel type ultraviolet light disinfection system. To dampen peak flows to the disinfection system, a flow equalization tank will be constructed between the SBR tanks and the disinfection facility. The existing metal tanks (old package plants) will be demolished, and two (2) new sludge treatment units, each consisting of three (3) aeration cells and one (1) gravity thickener, will be constructed. A second belt filter press will be installed along with a new screenings and grit dewatering tank. Other new facilities include a new administration/laboratory/training building, new blowers and blower buildings, and vehicle buildings.
The second expansion was completed in the fall of 2011.
