Drinking Water Plant

Shellbell, California
WAC Engineering Corp

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Anna Timm- Lead Engineer

Cole Burgess- Engineer
William Castrillon- Engineer
ENVE 3320
28 September 2014

Table of Contents ..... 01

List of Tables and Figures ....... 02

1.0 Introduction ...03
1.1 Our company ...03
1.1.1 Our Mission....03
1.2 Shellbell History...........04
1.3 Objective ...06
2.0 Background ....07
2.1 Water sources from Shellbell..07
2.2 Regulations Associated with Drinking Water....08
2.3 Proposed Location of Drinking Water Plant...10
2.4 Historical Population records and demand.....11
3.0 Design of Drinking Water Plant.....12
3.1 Flow Diagram of Water...12
3.2 Drinking Water Plant Design ....13
4.0 Summary ...18
References and Figure References......19
Appendix19
A. Calculations.....19

Tables and Figures

1

Figure 1: Location of Shellbell, California .. 04

Figure 2: Location of Shellbell, California in regards to the surrounding cities 05
Figure 3: Routing a stream through an urban development 07
Figure 4: Urban sprawl .. 07
Figure 5: Current location of the drinking water plant 09
Table 1: Population Growth..11
Figure 5.1: Projected Water Demands of Shellbell..12
Figure 6: Water Flow diagram.. 12
Figure 7: Inflow Screening.. 12
Figure 8: Aerated Grit Chamber.. 13
Figure 9: Cross Section of an Aerated Grit Chamber.. 13
Figure 10: Primary Clarifier.. 14
Figure 11: Aeration Basin.. 15
Figure 12: Secondary Clarifier.. 16
Figure 13: UV Drinking Water Treatment .. 17
Figure 14: Aeration Structure.. 17

1.0 Introduction

1.1 WAC Engineering

WAC Engineering Corp. is a sustainable consulting engineering firm consisting of three

engineers. The lead engineer for this project is Anna Timm, a third year environmental
engineering student at the University of Georgia. Her specialty includes using natural life cycles
as a model to create products and processes that will not be put to waste at the end of their
lifetime. The other two engineers involved in WAC include Cole Burgess and William Castrillon.
Cole is a fourth year environmental engineering major at the University of Georgia. Cole
specializes in sustainable building design and construction building regulations. William is a
fourth year environmental engineering major at the University of Georgia, and specializes in
understanding drinking water regulations, and natural energy systems that occur in industrial
ecology. With the exceptional team of engineers mentioned above, WAC is dedicated to
ensuring that a sustainable approach is met for each project.

1.1.1 Our Mission

As an environmentally conscious engineering firm, WAC strives to incorporate several principles

of green engineering into our consulting. Founded in 2012, WAC is a holistic design firm that
consults our projects in a cradle to cradle manner. Although we are a relatively new firm, WAC
is honored to have won the bid to rebuild Shellbell. Here at WAC, we are systems thinkers. We
are currently presented with the opportunity to create a sustainable water treatment facility for
Shellbell. WAC will implement the innovative processes of Industrial ecology into the
3

construction of the drinking water treatment plant.

WAC is fortunate to have won the bid to rebuild Shellbell, and we will make it our goal to
complete this project in a manner that benefits Shellbell while minimizing our impact on the
surrounding environment. Our designs call for maximum pollution prevention (how). Eventually,
when our facilities have reached their end of life, they will be designed to maximize material
salvage and/or recycling and minimize hazardous and inorganic waste through the use of
recycled materials and infrastructure during the construction of the plant.

1.2 Shellbell History

Shellbell, California is a small, friendly town located in the county of Los Angeles. This 2.5
square mile town is home to 35,731 people and is the thirteenth smallest city in the United
States with a population of at least 25,000 people. Its city limits are bisected by the towns main
source of water, the Mellow River, which runs from Los Angeles, through Shellbell, and ends at
Long Beach in the Pacific Ocean. The town is just miles from the coast.. On July 15th, 2015, the
quiet town of Shellbell was shaken by an earthquake that registered a 7.9 on the Richter scale.
This natural disaster destroyed over three quarters of the town's buildings, leaving the people of
Shellbell in utter disbelief. Stores, restaurants, offices, and homes were collapsed and the
town's population wondered if they were ever going to be able to recover. The mayor however,
had a different mindset. He saw this catastrophic event as an opportunity to improve the town
through implementation of sustainable design. His search for a group of engineers focused on
LEED certification and sustainable design led him to WAC engineering.

Figure 1: Location of Shellbell, California

Figure 2: Location of Shellbell, California in regards to the surrounding cities.

1.3 Project Objective

Shellbell selected our project bid with the desire to rebuild their drinking water infrastructure in a
cost effective, sustainable manner. This report aims to present our project in a comprehensive
manner that the general public will be able to understand in an effort to have them appreciate
the sustainable direction the mayor is leading the town in. The citizens will understand:
government regulations for water that the company must abide by, how the population affects
water demand, the steps and design to our water treatment system, etc. Water is a fundamental
requirement for life, and a safe drinking water facility is necessity for a successful community.

With our firms green principles in effect, Shellbell will be an excellent example of how the
implementation of green engineering can make a community thrive once again.

WAC will use a low risk water source , the Mellow River, for the drinking water treatment plant.
Through utilization of this source, we are lessening the work input required to treat and pump
the water. This source is also large enough that our firm will guarantee that the chosen water
source will not falter with the gradual increase in demand. The objectives of this project are to
create a dependable, lasting water treatment plant that will minimize energy consumption, has
relatively low maintenance costs, and is within compliance of the California drinking water
regulations.

A city meeting will be held on September 28th, 2015 at 1:25 PM for any citizens who have
questions or concerns about the project.

2.0 Background
2.1 Water Sources of Shellbell
The Mellow River, a local river near Shellbell, California, will act as the main water source for
the city. Currently, this river is utilized partially for drinking water but mainly for recreational
activities due to its pollution rate. The pollution rate in this portion of the river is above average
due to this location of the river being located downstream of Los Angeles. Figures 3 & 4

demonstrate the affects urban development can have on stream and river quality.

Figure 3: Routing a stream through an urban development.

Figure 4: Urban sprawl

2.2 Regulations Associated with Drinking Water

The Mellow River is protected by multiple acts and laws, and is under strict regulations
associated with drinking water. In 1915, the state of California adopted the Los Angeles County
Flood Control Act which provided flood protection and water conservation guidelines within the
river basin. The state has also adopted plans to clean up the river and place quality standards
from non-profit organizations, along with their regional Board of Regents. In 1969 the state
9

adopted the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act which established the state water
resources control board, which heads the creation of water quality control, enforces standards
for water quality, and regulates the discharge of point and nonpoint sources. The Mellow River is
also regulated by the Clean Water Act of 1972, which established structure for regulating
discharge of pollutants into water sources in the United States. In 1974, the Safe Water drinking
Act was passed which regulated the quality of drinking water in the United States. Another act
protecting the river is the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. This act was created to
ensure federal agencies consider the environmental impacts of their actions and decisions.

According to Californias water quality standards, the minimum dissolved oxygen level required
from cold water habitats is 7.0 mg/L and from warm water habitats is 5.0 mg/L. The median
dissolved oxygen concentration for any three consecutive months shall not be less than 80
percent of the dissolved oxygen content at saturation. The maximum concentration of benzene
allowed in the drinking water is .001 mg/L. High levels of benzene have been discovered in
California waterways due to fracking, as well as gasoline, crude oil, and forest fires.

The state Water Source Resources Quality Control Board establishes regulations that govern
the quality of drinking water that is distributed to the population. In Californias drinking water,
the maximum level of arsenic allowed in drinking water is 0.05 mg/L. Arsenic is regulated due to
the possibility of developing cancer after chronic exposure.

2.3 Proposed Location of Drinking Water Plant

The strange layout of the city lines made it difficult to decide the best location for the new
drinking water plant. We chose the location, seen in Figure 5, for a few reasons. The location
10

next to the river will reduce transportation needs and necessity of additional materials like
piping. This will lessen the energy required as well as maintenance worries and costs. Since the
southern section of the city has a larger land area and therefore holds more of the population,
placing the water plant in the southern section would make for an easier distribution to the larger
portion of the towns population, resulting in a lower energy demand for transportation of the
drinking water. However, constructing the plant in the farthest northeast corner of the south
section also allows for distribution the the north section of the city.

Figure 5: Current location of the drinking water plant.

2.4 Historical Population records and demand

11

As seen in the tables and figures below, we have estimated that following the earthquake the
town will experience a slight increase in population (See Appendix B) and therefore will have a
higher demand for water. Our design and plan for the drinking water plant, shown in the
following section, proves to be efficient in meeting the new water demands.

Year

Population

2000

36,664

2005

35,863

2010

35,477

2015

36,271

2025

36,819

2040

37,656

Table 1: Population Growth

Figure 5.1: Projected Water Demands of Shellbell

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3.0 Design of Drinking Water Plant

3.1 Water Flow Diagram
Figure 6 shows what will be the basic flow of water through our treatment facility.

Figure 6: Water Flow diagram

3.2 Drinking Water Plant Design and Processes

3.2.1 Influent Screens
The first process that water will undergo as it enters the the treatment facility is passing through
bar screens, which filter large objects out of the water (as seen in Figure 7). This is a very
important step as it gets rid of debris and trash that is commonly found in the Mellow River.

13

Figure 7: Inflow Screening

3.2.2 Aerated Grit Chamber

The aerated grit chamber (Figure 8 and 9) will allow solid particles (also known as grit) that were
too small to be collected by the bar screens to settle out. Air is pumped into the chambers to
keep organic material suspended and the wastewater fresh while the grit settles out.

14

Figure 8: Aerated Grit Chamber

Figure 9: Cross Section of an Aerated Grit Chamber

3.2.3 Primary Clarifier

The water will go through yet another filter system called the primary clarifier. This will remove
about of the suspended solids, 3/10 of the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and of
phosphorous. The water flows through the clarifier and will spend a calculated amount of time in
this stage specific to this location (see Appendix B.) The primary clarifier will collect solid waste
from the top and bottom of the tank as a slow moving arm rotates around the top of the tank
(see figure 10.)

15

Figure 10: Primary Clarifier

3.2.4 Aeration Basin

Following the primary clarifier, the water enters the aeration basin. This process involves
removing nitrogen and any remaining phosphorus and BOD. Water enters an anoxic stage then
to an oxidation stage to remove nitrogen using the Modified Ludzak-Ettinger (MLE) process.
Alum is added to assist in the removal of phosphorous. Removing the remaining BOD is the
main focus of this process, which is done by adding returned activated sludge (RAS). RAS
contains microorganisms that consume the BOD. Air is pumped into the system to ensure the
sludge remains suspended.

16

Figure 11: Aeration Basin

3.2.5 Secondary Clarifier

The next stage that the influent enters is the secondary clarifier. The secondary clarifier is
similar to the primary clarifier, but produces much more solid waste from phosphorus and BOD.
The solids will collect on the bottom of the clarifier and the microorganisms will become starved
as the BOD is lowered. This activated sludge is then separated into RAS that will be pumped
back to the aeration basin, or wasted activated sludge (WAS) that will be sent with other waste
solids to an area for dewatering. The clarifier is illustrated in Figure 12.

17

Figure 12: Secondary Clarifier

3.2.6 Disinfection
Next, the water is run through pipes with UV light (Figure 13) that mutates bacteria to the point
that they are not able to reproduce. They are then essentially harmless as their likeliness to
cause illness lies in their ability to reproduce to significant populations. However, the UV lights
can pose a danger to employees working in the area of lights.

Figure 13: UV Drinking Water Treatment

3.2.7 Aeration
The disinfected water is depleted in oxygen concentration and must be re-oxygenated before it
can be discharged and distributed. The water flows down over several steps, or mini-waterfalls
(Figure 14), that allow air to enter the flow. This method is very cost efficient as it utilized gravity
and does not involve pumping in air to diffusers below the water.

18

Figure 14: Aeration Structure

3.2.8 Dewatering/ Solids Collection

The solids that have been collected from the primary and secondary clarifiers are wet and need
to be stabilized and then placed in the centrifuge (Figure 15) for dewatering. This process
essentially wrings out the water from the solid waste. Then the screw conveyor pulls the waste
out of the opposite side, which can now be used to cover trash in landfills.

Figure 15: Centrifuge

4.0 Summary

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WAC engineering will put forth all of its resources and man/woman power to assist Shellbell and
recreate their town, after the earthquake. WAC engineering wanted to design a water treatment
system that would meet the water demand of the community for the next two decades, while still
maintaining the system in a safe and sustainable manner. We have designed this water
treatment system so that it does not disrupt the surrounding communities water systems. The
public meeting to discuss this project and answer any questions will be held on Monday
September 27th, 2015 from 1:25-2:15 PM.

References
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/rwqcb2/water_issues/programs/planningtmdls/basin
plan/web/docs/bp_ch3+tables.pdf
Figure References
Figure 1 and 2 https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bell,+CA/data=!4m2!3m1!
1s0x80c2ce94f2f96f91:0x10aef4a05636241a?
sa=X&ved=0CB0Q8gEwAGoVChMIqs6z0NmYyAIVR5ANCh3RcAuC
Figure 3 http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/columns/arts/street-art/street-art-converts-losangeles-river-into-surf-city.html
Figure 4 http://www.lariver.org/index.htm
Figure 7 http://www.edwardsaquifer.net/treatme.html
Figure 8
http://www.tankonyvtar.hu/hu/tartalom/tamop425/0032_kornyezettechnologia_en/ch03.html
Figure 9 http://wastewatertreatmentplant.wikispaces.com/
Figure 10 https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/pworks/wastewater/treatment.htm

Appendix
20

1. In 1915, the state of California adopted the Los Angeles County Flood Control
Act which provided flood protection and water conservation guidelines within
the river basin. The state has also adopted plans to clean up the river and
place quality standards from non-profit organizations, along with their
regional board of reagents. In 1969 the state adopted the Porter-Cologne
Water Quality Control Act which established the state water resources control
board, which heads the creation of water quality control, enforces standards
for water quality, and regulates the discharge of point and non-point sources.
The Mellow River is also regulated by the Clean Water Act of 1972, which
established structure for regulating discharge of pollutants into water sources
in the United States, along with regulating quality standards for surface
waters. Another act protecting the river is the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969. This act was created to ensure federal agencies consider the
environmental impacts of their actions and decisions.

According to the states water quality standards, the minimum dissolved oxygen
level required from cold water habitats is 7.0 mg/L and from warm water habitats is
5.0 mg/L. The median dissolved oxygen concentration for any three consecutive
months shall not be less than 80 percent of the dissolved oxygen content at
saturation. The concentration of benzene allowed in the drinking water is .001 mg/L.
High level of benzene have been discovered in California waterways due to fracking,
as well as gasoline, crude oil, and forest fires.

21

The state Water Source Resources Quality Control Board establishes regulations that
govern the quality of drinking water that is distributed to the population. In
California drinking water, the maximum level of arsenic allowed in drinking water is
0.05 mg/L because it has a high risk of causing people to develop cancer.

22

2.

23

3.

24

4.
Table 2: Population and Water Demand Projections

25

Population of Shellbell
38,000
37,000
Number of People

36,000

Population

35,000
34,000
2000

2020

2040

Year

Water Demand of Shellbell

8,000,000
7,000,000
6,000,000
Gallons of Water

Average

5,000,000

Minimum
Maximum

4,000,000
3,000,000
2,000,000
2000 2010 2020 2030 2040
Year

5 and 6
26

27

28

7.
Our drinking water plant will use the Mellow River as its source and as surface water. This
design will reflect the processes required to deal with surface water.
The point at which water is collected is collected from the Mellow River, there will be screens to
keep out the oversized debris. The design will be based on a maximum flow rate (for 2040) of
25658005.6 liters (6778128 gal) per day. At the plant, water pipes will flow through screens that
will separate out particulates. After it flows through the screen, water will be piped into the rapidmix section of the pipes. The pipes will use in-line vanes that will create the turbulence and
mixing of the water with the added coagulant.
29

In this case we will add aluminum sulfate (alum), Al2(SO4)3 * 14 H20. The size of the pipes used
to mix in the Alum will need to be

The alum required to supply the plant for a year was previously calculated (#5) at 6,156,150
kg/yr.
From these mixing pipes, the water will flow into the hydraulic flocculation system. This process
will allow the particles to settle out from the addition of the alum. The use of this type of system
will not require energy at this stage as the water flow and pressure will pump the water. The
water then leaves the flocculation system with the calcium, magnesium, and sulfates settled out.
The water then goes through a high-rate granular filtration system. The size of this rapid
filtration system will need to be:

30

This system will also require backwash pipes so that it can be cleaned. This is done every 1-4
days and lasts 15-30 minutes.
Following the filtration system, the water goes through the disinfection process. Chlorine is used
as the main disinfectant, and is also added to maintain the safety of the water as is passes
through the system. The time it takes to travel through the filtration system is

The rate of this residual chlorine is 0.27 mg/L. This is within the state maximum allowed of 4.0
mg/L for California.
The total chlorine needed per day is:

The total amount of chlorine needed by the plant per year is:

31