South Bend Wastewater Treatment Plant
Sponsor: Arcadis
Mentors: Benjamin Burroughs and David Murray
Seniors Working on this Project: Jake Koestner, Doyup Kwon, and Eleanor Walsh
Project Description:
The South Bend Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) has 7 clarifiers and some of them have been updated more recently than others. The goal of this project is to rehabilitate Final Clarifiers No. 1-3 so they can provide better treatment with reduced energy costs and ease of operation and maintenance as the plant prepares for a future peak capacity increase. Clarifiers No.1-3 currently utilize a suction header mechanism, which removes sludge from the tank by suction through orifices in an arm that extends across the tank radius and rotates around a central drive. Two main options are being considered: replacing the mechanism in kind or switching to one of two different plow blade mechanisms. The latter option may require dewatering of the soil below the tank in order to prevent the tank from floating caused by groundwater pressure head in the temporary absence of the weight of the clarifier mechanism. Switching mechanisms may also require changes in the bottom slope of the tank and reconfiguration of piping. This constitutes one of the main design tasks.
In addition to producing plans for a potential mechanism change, the project also consists of a review of clarifier settleability and hydraulics in order to work towards increased clarifier performance in periods of peak flow. As an additional task, we are also reviewing influent channel flooding and working towards the design of a relocated influent channel in order to mitigate flooding caused by the current channel location and dimensions. On a higher level, we are also considering how electrical/I&C systems need to be improved or retrofitted in order to adjust according to the clarifier mechanism change. Finally, our project also covers an evaluation of the microbial species in the biological aeration tanks in order to evaluate performance based on the preferability of different species. Based on the results of this study, we may also investigate changes that can improve the microbial constitution of the sludge and increase the removal of BOD.
North Wellfield Water Treatment Plant Media Replacement
Sponsor: Black & Veatch
Mentors: Heather Cheslek and Mark Rackow
Seniors Working on this Project: Brooke Wilkinson, Andrea Reisinger, and Vincent Miano
Project Description:
The North Wellfield Water Treatment Plant is one of the nine drinking water treatment plants serving the city of south bend. The current filtration media hasn’t been replaced since 1999. The plant needs a replacement of media for more effective filtration due to the age of media and loss of media from backwashing. In addition, repairs to the inner coating of the five filtration tanks must be completed. Weekly meetings with the Black & Veatch Team occur on Thursdays at 9am.
Our team is working on selecting new media for the gravity filtration tanks by analyzing current contaminant removal, cost estimating, and looking at specifications for different media options. Over the course of the fall semester our team’s goal is to complete a Water Quality Analysis and a Basis of Design Memorandum (BDM) for the new media and tank repairs. We will use excel to create plots of water quality data. The major deliverables for the spring semester are the 30 and 90 Percent Design Deliverables. As a team we alternate leading meetings, creating agendas, and taking minutes.
Veterans Parkway Lift Station
Sponsor: Lawson-Fisher Associates
Mentor: JJ LaBounty and Kevin Siedlecki
Seniors working on this project: Leah Delfausse, Patrick Murray, and Lucas Sauder
Project Description:
In collaboration with Lawson-Fisher Associates, our goal is to design a new sanitary lift station near Juday Creek in Mishawaka, IN. The surrounding area is serviced by a 15” gravity sewer and is expected to see significant land development in the future, including construction of a water treatment plant, an athletic complex, residential communities, and various commercial and industrial facilities. This will necessitate the construction of an additional lift station to accommodate increased wastewater flows. The client specified that the design should be a conventional wet well/valve vault lift station with fully submersible pumps. According to our flow projection calculations, the lift station will convey over 1 million gallons per day at peak conditions. Our team is working to refine our flow projections, design all components of the lift station, and estimate costs. Technical skills for the project include flow estimation and calculation based on 327 IAC, AutoCAD for drafting, and RSMeans for cost estimation.
Bercliff Estates Sewer Separation
Sponsor: McCormick Engineering
Mentors: David McCormick
Seniors Working on this Project: Jake Gartner, Sophia Frisbie, and Pedro Pozas
Project Description:
Bercliff Estates is a neighborhood in South Bend which is currently experiencing flooding at the lowest elevation point during storm events. Currently, it has a combined sewer system in place as the existing infrastructure to handle storm water. To provide relief to the flooding area at the corner of Sylvan Glen Drive and Oakcrest Drive, a new storm sewer with flow inlets will need to be installed, therefore separating the combined sewer and leaving the existing structure as exclusively a sanitary sewer. This follows Indiana state law, which does not allow for new attachments to a combined sewer system. The team is working to design this new system based on storm runoff estimations from SCS and Rational Methods from a delineated watershed and propose its location while working around existing infrastructure and utilities. The team will present a designed plan for the new system with cost estimations. The technical skills involved in completing this task include mapping in ArcGIS, modeling in AutoCAD, and hydraulic calculations based on South Bend standards and NOAA precipitation data.
City of Portland New Drinking Water Filtration Facility
Sponsor: Stantec
Mentors: Art Umble and Jordan Scott
Senior Working on This Project: Kerry Conneely, Annie Lang, and David Kimlinger
Project Description:
The City of Portland, OR is currently in the process of constructing a new drinking water filtration facility and pipelines in order to comply with regulations established by the EPA’s Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule. This facility, expected to be completed by September 30, 2027, will remove Cryptosporidium from the water supply and reduce potential impacts to the water supply from wildfires, landslides, and other natural disasters. The Portland Water Bureau (PWB) has selected Stantec to aid in on-site design, and our group, under the guidance of Jordan Scott, will specifically work to design the dual media filtration system. To produce the 30%, 60%, and 90% deliverables, we will utilize online resources, reports, AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, and other software for drafting or calculations that will aid in our work. We will compare our final design to what has been decided in the final construction plans.
