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Hobbs,
Upchurch & Associates, P.A. Superior Performance Through Innovative Design |
| Carthage Water Treatment Plant | Printable Page |
The Town of Carthage, located in Moore County, North Carolina, is
in a growth corridor near the famous golf resort of Pinehurst. Over
the past ten years, the population of Carthage has more than doubled
to approximately 2,200. The town was experiencing problems with water
supply capacity and finished water quality. The inability to produce
an adequate, safe supply of water was becoming a major concern for
the town and its citizens. Carthage hired Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates, P.A. , an engineering firm located in Southern Pines, North Carolina, to complete a water supply study and to make recommendations based on the results of the study. HUA presented the results of the study to the Carthage Board of Commissioners in January, 1999. The study recommended construction of a new 1.0 mgd water treatment facility, which would allow for an increased withdrawal from the town's raw water sources. In addition, the new facility would solve water quality problems and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. As the town commissioned an instream flow study to be completed on its run-of-stream raw water source, Nicks Creek, there were two primary problems that needed to be solved. First, funding for the new plant would have to be secured. Second, the best technology for the new design would have to be researched and pilot tested. Funding for the New PlantCarthage needed to identify a funding mechanism to help the town pay for the new water treatment plant and other upgrades to the water system. While completing pilot testing for the system, HUA worked to identify funding alternatives for the town. Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates assisted the town in securing $2.53 million in Clean Water Bond - High Unit Cost Grant funds for the project. Upon notification of the grant award, the town had four months to obtain design approval and permitting. Receipt of the grant award was contingent upon meeting the four-month timeline; which meant that the project was faced with obtaining state approval of a new treatment process in a relatively short time frame. HUA met this challenge by working closely with the town staff, the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the equipment manufacturer, US Filter Memcor. By maintaining open lines of communication, HUA was able to complete pilot testing, obtain testing results, and submit a detailed design package with sufficient detail and supporting data to obtain the required state approval. Technical Design and Pilot Testing
After extensive pilot testing, HUA recommended the use of the new
Continuous Microfiltration (CMF) water treatment system. This new
and innovative technology allows areas with good raw water quality
to produce superior quality drinking water with low operation and
maintenance costs. The Memcor CMF design differs from conventional
sand/media filters by physically preventing inorganic and organic
contaminants larger than 0.2 microns from penetrating the membrane
barrier. The membrane is a hollow fiber that filters the water as
system pressure drives the water from the outside to the inside of
the membrane. The membranes are housed in a module attached to a skid-mounted
system that allows great flexibility for future upgrades.The Continuous Microfiltration water treatment system was selected for Carthage based on the raw water quality and the ability of the design to meet the filtration requirements of the Surface Water Treatment Rules (SWTR) and Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rules for the removal of specific contaminants. Testing proved that the raw water source from Nicks Creek provided high quality raw water that yielded extraordinary results during the pilot testing. The raw water source is a run-of-stream intake that pumps six miles to an off stream reservoir at the treatment facility site. The quality of raw water produced by Nick's Creek coupled with the benefits of the off stream reservoir allowed the CMF design to be most effective in this application. However, the design and construction were to be the first of this size using this technology in North Carolina. Therefore a great deal of interaction between the town and HUA was required in order to develop the proper design components and system layout. ConstructionCarthage chose to purchase the equipment separately from the construction contract, so construction management of the project became a high priority, as close coordination between contractors and equipment suppliers was critical to project success. The US Filter Memcor module and related equipment were provided by Heyward, Inc. of Charlotte, North Carolina. The general construction was completed by Laughlin-Sutton Construction Company of Browns Summit, North Carolina. Electrical work was completed by Electrical Construction, Inc., of Lexington, North Carolina. The general and electrical contracts were awarded at $1,279,000.00 and $382,000.00, respectively. The equipment award included the Memcor system, raw water pumps, and telemetry systems at a cost of $910,310.00. Plant Completion and Final Costs
The project was completed and placed into service on schedule for a final cost of $2,556,796.00. This represented an overall reduction in contract amounts after final change orders and adjustments. The facility has been in operation since May, 2002 and is producing the anticipated results at or above the regulatory standards. Social and Economic BenefitsCompletion of the Carthage project provided an innovative approach to water treatment and eliminated health concerns of the community associated with the poor performance of the previous facility. The deteriorated conditions and resulting water quality of the old facility were well documented. The new facility has also provided adequate water resources to serve the existing customer base and promote economic development in the area. By maintaining public awareness of the benefits of the project throughout the implementation phase and because of increased public concern for water supply created by the recent drought, the plant has been enthusiastically received by the public. The recent drought has also created an environment for increased regionalism and sharing of water resources. The Town of Carthage and the nearby Town of Southern Pines have worked together to allow Carthage to utilize an old reservoir that is owned by Southern Pines. Construction of the new water treatment plant gives Carthage the ability to use raw water from the reservoir when necessary and to share excess finished water with neighboring systems. NCDENR Involvement and Future Value to North CarolinaThe Carthage Water Treatment Plant project was the first municipal facility of its size in North Carolina to use the CMF process. Therefore, NCDENR Public Water Supply staff was included in each step of the research, including site visits to similar facilities in Virginia, and on-site monitoring of the pilot test in Carthage. Use of the proposed design has provided the foundation and technical supporting data for NCDENR to use for future approval of similar systems. Since the Carthage Water Treatment Plant was the first 1 mgd CMF surface water treatment facility to be approved, the project has provided a new accepted treatment technology for water treatment design in North Carolina. The further development of water quality and operational costs data will be beneficial to future reviews of design alternatives. The automated operation of the facility will also provide the framework for NCDENR to investigate the feasibility of unmanned operation of facilities, as is currently approved in other states. ConclusionHobbs, Upchurch & Associates identified needs and recommended solutions to the Town of Carthage to solve water supply and water quality problems. HUA then followed through with funding assistance, research, pilot testing and design in a timely manner. Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates' close coordination with the Town of Carthage, the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the funding agency, the construction company, and the equipment supplier ensured successful completion of the project on time and within budget. The water treatment facility is serving the town well. The data generated as the plant continues to operate will provide guidance for similar projects in the future. In addition, Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates designed the Carthage Water Treatment plant so that it can be expanded and upgraded to accommodate future growth in the area. Therefore, the citizens of Carthage will enjoy a reliable, high quality source of water for many years to come.
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