NE Alabama Water District Case Study

Northeast Alabama Water District (NEAW) services 15,200 connections within 2,052 square miles, resulting in a very large distribution area. Increasing populations expanded the service area and demand even more, creating the need for a larger water treatment facility. To increase capacity and bring water treatment closer to its residents, NEAW and Constantine Engineering constructed the innovative High Point water treatment plant in 2010.

High Point receives its raw water indirectly from the Tennessee River. River water is pumped 5 miles and over 700 feet in elevation to a 4.2 million gallon storage reservoir at the plant location. Managing disinfection by products (DBPs) within large distribution areas is difficult at best. With large distribution areas, long chlorine contact times, dead zones, and regrowth contribute to high DBPs. By removing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the clarified water, DBPs are minimized.

After completing a comprehensive study, the engineer selected enhanced flocculation clarifiers and membrane filtration, specifically solids contact clarifiers and ultrafiltration, as the best method to treat for DOC and turbidity. The plant was also designed to allow for the addition of granular activated carbon (GAC) or powder activated carbon (PAC) in the future if needed. To remove organics and improve water quality, WesTech was contracted to supply the majority of the process equipment for the High Point plant.