Feature Installation: Pleasant Valley School District, PA (Wastewater Treatment Lagoons)
Pleasant Valley School District is comprised of seven schools encompassing a 120 square mile area (311 km2) in Monroe County Pennsylvania. Under the district's umbrella has been a waste water treatment facility located at the Middle School. In January of 2008 the district put a project out to bid to expand this facility. The bulk of the project was the expansion of two new treatment lagoons to a total of four lagoons.
After the waste water leaving the school system goes through the initial treatment and chlorine disinfection process it is sent to the lagoons. Here in the lagoons the super heavy nutrient laded water is continually processed to manage and achieve nutrient breakdown. When this process has been successfully accomplished the water is then used as irrigation water on the schools athletic fields and grounds.
It is during the nutrient breakdown process that Otterbine enters the picture. One aspect of the project was water aeration of the new lagoons which are approximately 1 surface acre each (.49km2), 10 feet (3m) deep and containing roughly 2,714,000 gallons (10274 m3) each. Two 5 horsepower High Volume units were specified for each lagoon. With pumping rates of 3,000 gallons per minute (647.2 m3/hr) per unit each lagoon realizes a turnover rate of 3.2 times per 24 hour period.
The new lagoons were completed with the aeration product being installed in the spring of 2009.
Additionally a major function of the aeration units is to provide circulation. As Mark Voyak, an engineer for the project architectural firm Quad Three Group, Inc., states, "One main need besides nutrient breakdown is to keep the water in circulation which along with the infusion of dissolved oxygen, keeps the lagoons fresh."
The aeration portion of the project including installation of the High Volume units was awarded to Natureworks Clear Water Associates of Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania.
Natureworks, owned by Martin (Marty) Miesko an Aquatic Biologist, is a well known and respected Pond and Lake Management company that has been in business since 1995. After installation and seeing the results over the past 14 months, Marty says "I feel very strongly the product chosen was the best possible choice to manage both the nutrient level and prevent stagnation."
An unexpected occurrence of the overall scope of the project, after seeing the results of the Otterbine High Volume product, has become the replacement of original aeration equipment (non-Otterbine) in the other two existing lagoons. The original product was overwhelmingly large creating removal and installation issues and was not providing adequate circulation therefore allowing algae blooms. Upon seeing the results and condition of the new lagoons, it was decided to remove this product from one of the lagoons and replace it with the Otterbine High Volume product. During the lag time algae began to proliferate. However, once the High Volume was installed and operating water quality began to improve. As Mark Meinhart, Director of Buildings and Grounds points out, "The decision to change came after seeing the ease and operation of the Otterbine units in the new lagoons. The Otterbine moves a lot of water and within three weeks the water quality was very acceptable."
This project mirrors many in the Waste Water Treatment industry where the High Volume product has become both a solution and a success story!
SOURCE: Otterbine Barebo, Inc.