Boone
Wastewater Treatment Plant
In 1992, Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates, P.A. began to review and plan a
wastewater treatment facility expansion for the Town of Boone. This project is
particularly interesting because the WWTP effluent flows into a tributary of
the New River. The New River was designated as outstanding resource waters,
which required the Town of Boone to modify their effluent treatment capacity by
improving the tertiary limits.
1996, with the help of Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates, The Town of Boone found
the funds to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant.Effluent
Limits
The Town of Boone faced several hurdles in its efforts to improve
treatment, such as its discharge to a tributary of the New River, which called
for extremely tight effluent limitations. The relatively cold climate in the
Town also did not lend itself to trickling filter technology. To provide the
necessary 4.82 million gallon per day capacity, engineers devised two primary
arrangements: the extended aeration process as well as a trickling filter
followed by suspended growth process. Based on the results of a net present
cost analysis, as well as applicability of technology and treatment, the Town
selected an extended aeration activated sludge facility.Design
The design of the Boone Wastewater Treatment Facility posed several
operational considerations and challenges, such as the climate of Boone and the
mountainous, geographical location in which new plant structures were
constructed. Construction phasing was certainly a major consideration, because
the new secondary and tertiary units had to be installed concurrently with the
demolition of the existing trickling filters.
Construction of the project finished well ahead of schedule despite having to
demolish most of the old plant while constructing new treatment units and
maintaining compliance with SOC limits for the effluent. The project
coordination between the Town, Contractors and HUA during construction
benefited the schedule of work items and facilitated improvements to the
project, through Value Engineering by all parties throughout the construction
phase.
This project received a 1999 Engineering Excellence "Grand Award" from the
American Council of Engineering Companies of North Carolina (ACEC/NC).
The project was also featured in several trade publications and newspapers.
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