Our team worked with KC Water on a facility plan for the existing Todd Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), including evaluation of the existing facility and future system needs. Based on the study conclusions, we also developed drawings and specifications for a new 4.6 MGD treatment facility to address the needs of the watershed and to meet water quality requirements.
The facility plan was needed to assess the options for improving or replacing it due to age, condition, changing water quality requirements, and changes to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Mapping in the service area, limiting the ability to expand existing facilities.
In the study phase, we evaluated multiple alternatives for improvements as well as new greenfield options. A final recommendation was provided including a 30% design in a BIM format, a Level 4 cost estimate and recommendations regarding appropriate project execution models.
Multiple development pressures were in play with the facility plan. The existing activated sludge treatment plant includes tankage and mechanical systems that are near the end of their functional lives and the current process cannot meet anticipated nutrient limits for the effluent water.
The watershed includes Kansas City International Airport, which has historically disposed of high-strength deicing fluid into the wastewater system on a seasonal basis. In addition, multiple developers are considering the area for new residential and manufacturing, which would significantly impact the flow arriving to the Todd Creek WWTP.
The existing plant site was affected by an update of the FEMA flood plain, which essentially placed the entire plant site within the floodway. Because of this, options for improvement had to address either a zero net increase in plant footprint or an extensive mitigation of floodway impacts by new facilities.
The project team evaluated multiple options for future capacity, performance and reliability and recommended a new facility using aerated granular sludge technology at an alternative site as the recommended alternative using a business case analysis approach. The implementation of recommendations by the team will save KC Water over $6 million in net present value and meet the needs of the growing Northland in Kansas City for the next two decades.
Due to rapid anticipated growth, the project is required to allow for multiple expansions of the facility and to address wide ranges in contaminant loading to the plant. The project includes an entirely new WWTP: influent pumping, screening, degritting, biological/secondary treatment with AGS, effluent disinfection and metering, solids thickening, and solids holding. The facility will also include a new administration, laboratory building, backup power, and a new SCADA and controls system.
Aerated granular sludge (AGS) provides a highly repeatable and modular format for the plant and an ability to adjust operations for a wide range of influent wastewater composition. This innovative technology will be able to meet more stringent water quality requirements while also requiring less electricity, less chemicals, and occupying a smaller footprint than other competing technologies.
The admin/lab building will be the front door to the plant. The building will include offices, a conference room, control room, breakroom, restrooms, lockers, showers and mechanical and electrical spaces. The plant will consist of multiple buildings, which will be monitored from the administration portion of this building. The other buildings will include UV, blower, headworks, AGS basins and pipe gallery, influent pump station, influent electrical building, and solids processing. The admin/lab building and the other buildings on-site will be built from insulated architectural precast concrete as a result of a mid-design value engineering study to determine the maximum value exterior wall system amid supply-and-demand fluctuations in the materials market.