When major flooding caused widespread damage in Pacific, Missouri, the city’s wastewater treatment plant required a repair for not only immediate infrastructure issues but an adaptable long-term solution for the flood-prone area.
Our team developed a plan that would improve the wastewater treatment plant layout to reduce the damage from future floods. The project included installation of a new aeration system, supplied by Triplepoint Environmental, complete with retrievable aerators that add oxygen and mixing for biological digestion of waste. Because new aeration units are self-weighted, they are designed to sit on the bottom of the lagoons so that they are not affected by rising floodwaters.
Retrievable aeration units give plant employees the ability to periodically inspect them and maintain diffuser elements to promote system efficiency. A new platform was installed based on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood plain elevation. Pacific officials wanted a platform that would sit above the flood plain elevation to better protect the electrical equipment during a future flood. The new ultraviolet (UV) modules, supplied by Calgon Carbon, can be temporarily submerged. They can also be unplugged, which allows plant employees to remove them during a major flood.
The innovative design with a new aeration system, UV technology and electrical platform gave Pacific’s wastewater treatment plant the flexibility to proactively respond before floodwaters hit. The plant will continue to be susceptible to flooding due to its low elevation, but the environment and city will benefit from the plant's design flexibility. The plant can now operate with limited disruption and minimize impacts from future flood events.