Water & Wastewater
Treatment - Clarification
The Evitts Creek Plant Replaces Upflow Clarifier
with the Leopold Clari-DAF System to Remove
Raw Water Algae and Manganese
Overview
The Evitts Creek Water Treatment Plant that is
owned and operated by the City of
Cumberland, Maryland is located in Bedford,
on the border of Pennsylvania near the
Maryland panhandle. It provides potable
water for Cumberland, as well as other
surrounding smaller communities in Maryland,
West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Both the
states of Maryland and Pennsylvania have
regulatory responsibility for this facility. The
raw water source for the treatment plant
influent is Lake Koon, which has a 2.2 billion
gallon capacity that feeds the 1.3 billion gallon
Lake Gordon reservoir where the intake
structure is located.
Lake Gordon Reservoir.
Background
The originally designed 12 MGD plant had a
treatment scheme with rapid mix, upflow
clarifiers, filters, clearwell, and a contact tank
along with vacuum drying beds for sludge
dewatering. Flow through the plant averaged
Case Story
9 MGD, with peaks of 13 MGD. The influent
turbidity averaged 3 NTU with influent soluble
manganese levels averaging 0.1 mg/L, but
peaking at 0.172 mg/L. Potassium
permanganate (KMnO4) was fed regularly at
the intake for taste and odor control, and to
oxidize the manganese for removal in the
clarification stage of the treatment process.
The plant fed inorganic flocculent and polymer
for clarification, caustic for corrosion control,
fluoride, chlorine for disinfection, and ammonia
to form chloramines to carry the residual
throughout the large distribution system.
In 1998, in addition to the soluble manganese
problem, increased agricultural run-off and a
reduction in the surrounding forestry were
causing progressively higher algae blooms
during the summer months. These conditions
were creating severe taste and odor problems,
shortened filter run times, and discoloration
and staining in the distribution system
consumers homes due to manganese.
After investigating alternative clarification
technologies, the citys consulting engineer
recommended installing a dissolved air
flotation (DAF) clarification system, as well as
replacing five filters as the solution to the
problem of increased algae and to improve
manganese removal.
Pilot Study
In the summer of 1999, a Leopold state-of-the
art DAF mobile pilot plant was brought in to
determine the process effectiveness and
develop design criteria. The six-week pilot
study optimized the inorganic coagulant doses
at 15 to 20 mg/L, and was able to achieve an
operating loading rate of 7 gpm/ft2 based on
total area with an efficient recycle flow of 7.8%. control consoles to provide automatic control
The pilot DAF indicated that it could effectively and monitoring of the filter operation backwash
remove algae and manganese, as well as sequence. The new filter system also included
produce a consistent effluent quality for filter the addition of air scour to the backwash
loading, thus maximizing the filter run times procedure.
between backwashes. It would also produce 2%
to 5% sludge solids in the float, which would
reduce the sludge volume to handle and the cost
of further processing by dewatering and hauling
away the sludge solids. In addition, with the
smaller footprint, it allowed the water utility to
handle a proposed 36% increase in ultimate
plant capacity to 15 MGD in the same area for
the proposed new facility.

The Leopold Clari-DAF System

Design/Build Team
After evaluating the success of the pilot study
and visiting several existing dissolved air
flotation installations, Cumberland officials were
convinced that a dissolved air flotation system
was the best alternative for the Evitts Creek
treatment scheme. A Design/Build Team
formed between the city, F.B. Leopold, a local
contractor, and the engineering firm
accomplished the final design and installation in
June, 2002. The project was completed ahead
of schedule and under budget. It consisted of
three Clari-DAF systems (designed at 5 MGD
apiece), each with dual flocculators, basins that
are 22 ft wide by 32 ft long by 10 ft deep, and all
the required pumps, saturation tank, and
controls. In addition, it involved replacing the
existing filters with Leopold Type S
Underdrain, Leopold I.M.S. (Integral Media
Support) Cap, backwash troughs, sand and
anthracite media, and three dual filter
The Leopold FilterWorx Filter Control Console.
Pre- & Post-Clari-DAF System
Performance
The Clari-DAF effluent turbidity is consistently
below 0.2 NTU and has increased filter runs to
the Pennsylvania state regulatory recommended
maximum of 72 hours. Previously, with the
upflow clarifier, the filter runs were at 24 hours
between backwashes. The taste and odor
problems have been resolved, soluble
manganese in the finished water is now below
0.02 mg/L, and the process obtains a minimum
of 85% removal of the incoming algae.
One of the big benefits from the Clari-DAF
operation is the high-solids content of the floated
sludge. As it comes off the top of the unit, it is

The Leopold Clari-DAF system at work. Sludge blanket created by the Leopold Clari-DAF system.
actually diluted to 2% for pumping purposes, The Table below compares the actual plant
and then sent to the belt press that has replaced performance achieved by the two clarification
the vacuum drying beds. The belt press, using processes at the Evitts Creek Treatment Plant.
anionic polymer as a sludge conditioner,
produces sludge cake ranging from 16% to 22% Today, the Clari-DAF systems effluent water
solids. This compares favorably to the drying quality and subsequent filter run times are
beds that produced 5% cake solids and required exceeding expectations. Also, the maintenance
sawdust filler to be added to soak up water for and operations requirements of the Clari-DAF
hauling it to the landfill. The belt press units are less than anticipated, allowing plant
processes a one-week accumulation of sludge in operators extra time to accomplish more tasks
10 to 14 man-hours rather than the 48 to 60 during their regular shift.
man-hours previously required using the drying
Previous Current Clari-
bed. This has reduced the overall operating Parameter
Upflow Unit DAF System
costs of the solids handling and disposal
Raw Water
operation by greater than 60%. 2.0 to 5.0 NTU 2.0 to 5.0 NTU
Turbidity
Raw Water
0.1 to 0.17 mg/L 0.1 to 0.17 mg/L
Manganese

Effluent Turbidity 1.0 NTU 0.2 NTU

Effluent
0.05 mg/L 0.02 mg/L
Manganese

Filter Run Length 24 hours 72 hours

Filter Effluent
0.1 NTU 0.04 NTU
Turbidity
Filter Effluent
0.05 mg/L 0.02 mg/L
Manganese

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