Tour of Rochester Water Reclamation Plant
The Rochester Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) serves the City of Rochester. With a few exceptions, the plant serves primarily residential, commercial and industrial customers from within the city limits. The Wastewater Utility is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the treatment plant, three remote lift stations and about 500 miles of collections system. The plant is manned 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
The Water Reclamation Plant consists of two parallel treatment processes capable of handling 23.8 million gallons per day (MGD). The High Purity Oxygen Plant (HPO) is treats for 19.1 MGD while the Aeration Basin Complex Plant (ABC) treats 4.75 MGD. Once on site, wastewater is pumped and passed through screens and a grit removal process to remove large debris which are sent to the landfill or incinerator for final disposal. Wastewater is then split to either the HPO plant, ABC plant, or equalization basin for storage until treatment capacity is available.
The first treatment process for both plants is primary clarification where solids are settled out and conveyed to solids processing. The wastewater then enters aeration basins where oxygen is added to provide a thriving environment for biological activity to grow and remove pollutants from the wastewater. Wastewater then flows to clarifiers where solids and biological growth are settled out and either sent to solid processing or returned back to the aeration basin process for further reduction of pollutants. The HPO plant also has an additional aeration and clarification process. After final clarification for both plants, flows combine and chlorine is added for disinfection which is followed by de-chlorination before discharging the effluent to the Zumbro River.
Solids produced from intermediate and final clarification processes are thickened on gravity belt thickeners, blended with primary solids and primary scum, and anaerobically digested in covered tanks with a detention time of approximately 25 days. The anaerobically digested biosolids produces methane gas that is captured and used to heat the digesters and produce energy. Approximately 12,000,000 gallons of 6% biosolids are stored onsite then land applied each year under stringent state regulations as free fertilizer for local farmers.
The WRP also has a multifaceted energy management system that saves over $600,000 annually in energy costs. Three heating and cooling loops are used throughout the plant to recover heat from wastewater processes and provide cooling water for equipment. On average, 220 cubic feet per day of methane gas is produced in the anaerobic digesters and used to fuel boilers for building and process heating or to power one of two 1 megawatt engine generators. Heat is also collected off the engine generators and engine exhaust for utilization throughout the plant.
Date and Time
Location
Hosts
Registration
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- 301 37th Street
- Rochester, Minnesota
- United States 55901
- Contact Event Host
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Ron Jensen
- Starts 06 June 2019 01:00 PM UTC
- Ends 12 June 2019 01:00 AM UTC
- No Admission Charge
Speakers
Wendy Turri
Rochester Water Reclamation Plant Tour
Biography:
I am fortunate that I have been able to work in the exciting, very interesting and ever changing wastewater field for 37 years. I have a chemistry degree that allowed me to start my career at the City of Rochester in their wastewater laboratory and as their pretreatment coordinator. I then spent 30 years at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency always working in wastewater field. The last 14 years managing the wastewater program for the state. My final journey in my wastewater career is as the Wastewater Utility Manager at the Water Reclamation Plant.