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By Tim Lindemann and Mark Pamperin

The city of Lancaster, OH, located in a rural area in the southeastern portion of the state, could no longer accommodate the needs of this ever-growing bedroom community with its existing wastewater treatment facility. It was determined that a new one was essential to keeping up with the growth of the area while also preserving the surrounding environment. Since the discharge would flow into the Hocking River, a popular recreational spot and tributary of the Ohio River, officials knew they needed a plant capable of enhanced nutrient removal. As with most municipalities, a major concern centered on immediate and long-term water quality as the community grew and as discharge limits fluctuated well into the future.

A site located in a developing area of Lancaster was selected to tap into the growing industrial market taking root there. City and water officials recognized that producing effluent that could be used in manufacturing and other applications would help Lancaster attract potential industrial customers.

The city assigned the Columbus office of environmental consulting firm Malcolm Pirnie the task of designing a process capable of meeting nutrient removal now and into the future while minimizing footprint and operating costs. As the process selection developed throughout 2006, the involved parties leaned towards Membrane Biological Reactor (MBR) technology to meet discharge quality needs. And to reduce operating costs, Malcolm Pirnie and the city began exploring the benefits of biosolids minimization through Siemens' Cannibal® system.