https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Events
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Subscribe to GovPro
    • Manage GovPro Subscription
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
acc.com

Public Works & Utilities


WASTEWATER/Communities sign up for new treatment plant

WASTEWATER/Communities sign up for new treatment plant

With its population growing at a rate of 5 percent annually, Broadway, Va., needed new capacity in its wastewater treatment system. As officials examined
  • Written by Beth Wade, Managing Editor
  • 1st March 2001

With its population growing at a rate of 5 percent annually, Broadway, Va., needed new capacity in its wastewater treatment system. As officials examined their options for upgrading the town’s plant, they received an intriguing offer: For a monthly service fee, Broadway and nearby Timberville could hook into a brand new plant that would be built, owned, operated and maintained by a third party.

Situated north of Harrisburg, Va., Broadway and Timberville have a combined population of approximately 5,000. The major employers in the area are poultry processors WLR Foods and Rocco/Shadybrook, and they — along with the two towns — were part of the new-plant scenario.

For years, Broadway, Timberville and the poultry processors had operated separate wastewater treatment plants, and each was permitted to discharge treated wastewater into the North Fork of the Shenandoah River, a tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. Together, the four plants discharged approximately 200,000 pounds of nitrogen and phosphorous each year.

The proposed plant, which would replace four facilities and require no capital outlay from the local governments, also would reduce discharge. “For us, [the decision to opt for the proposed facility] was based on capacity and economics, but we also looked at the environmental aspects of it,” says Broadway Town Manager Kyle O’Brien.

The new plant would serve as a reclamation and reuse facility, and the resulting land application of the reclaimed water would be the largest such application in Virginia. As a result, state environmental, health and conservation agencies exercised extra caution in approving the project. In October 1999, the engineering firm that had proposed the project — Naperville, Ill.-based Sheaffer International — got its permits. Construction began the following January, and, by August 2000, the North Fork facility was completed and online.

The plant, which can treat up to 1.9 million gallons of wastewater per day, consists of two lagoons, or cells, where the water is treated, and a 120-day reservoir where the reclaimed water is stored for reuse. Each treatment cell features a three-foot anaerobic zone topped off with a 22-foot aerobic zone, and waste is moved through both cells during treatment. The process takes 30 days, meaning that breakdown of the waste is maximized, while sludge production is minimized.

The engineering firm, which owns the North Fork plant, will operate the facility for 25 years. Broadway and Timberville pay the company a monthly service fee, based on the volume of wastewater treated; and the poultry processors pay a fee based on the volume and strength of their wastewater. The towns are responsible only for maintaining lateral and collection lines.

Reclaimed water is being stored at the plant, and, beginning this spring, will be used to irrigate nearly 500 acres of farmland east of Timberville. (The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality will control the amount of reclaimed water used for irrigation.) Additionally, some of it will be used by one of the poultry processors for non-potable purposes, and some of it will be used in time of drought to enhance river flow.

By entering into the third-party agreement, Broadway has met its capacity needs, and O’Brien expects an economic payoff. “In the short run, the town is not saving money,” he says. “Not by a long shot. But, in the long run, we will. We did a break-even analysis, and we’re probably looking at 10 years.”

In the meantime, Broadway is looking at ways to reuse the site of its old wastewater treatment plant. “We’re working with regulatory agencies to pump down two lagoons, and we’re hoping to dry the sludge and bury it in place,” O’Brien says. “We’ve got about seven acres down there, and it’s been discussed about possibly turning [the site] into Little League ballfields.”

Tags: Public Works & Utilities

Related


  • Pennsylvania county will light up its buildings with hydro-electric power
    A planned hydropower plant will supply electricity for county-run operations in Allegheny County, Pa., according to an announcement by County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. Boston-based Rye Development LLC will finance and build the 17.8-megawatt plant along the Ohio River at the Emsworth Main Channel Dam, near Pittsburgh. Under the terms of a 35-year power purchase agreement […]
  • 2020 Crown Communities winner: Phases 2 and 3 of Minot, N.D.'s Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Plan
    Phases 2 and 3 of Minot, N.D.’s Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Plan involved numerous federal, state and local entities, several setbacks, years to complete and $40 million. But the result was a multi-faceted flooding defense that Minot was able to make its own. Historic flooding of the Mouse River in June 2011 created the […]
  • Five reasons why city managers should put utility vehicles to work
    With their versatility and reliability, UTVs are the perfect vehicle to help keep a city or county running smoothly
  • Cleveland launches program to create circular rconomy
    The City of Cleveland and Cleveland Neighborhood Progress announced the launch of Circular Cleveland, a two-year initiative to develop and implement circular economy strategies and programs in Cleveland. Inspired by similar models in cities around the world, the circular economy is a comprehensive approach to provide community-wide benefits by designing waste and pollution out of our economic system, keeping […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Hi-tech sewers can help safeguard public health, environment and economies
  • 2020 Crown Communities winner: Rock Hill, S.C.'s My Ride
  • The future of transportation – leveraging smart solutions to boost user experience
  • Local governments in Texas respond to cold snap, power grid failure

White papers


Discover How Public Sector Officials are Monitoring and Managing Overtime in This New White Paper

22nd February 2021

How to Assemble a Successful Government Grant Proposal

5th February 2021

The Rise of Procurement’s Next Normal

5th February 2021
view all

Events


PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

Key Steps Governments Can Take to Guard Against Malware Attack dlvr.it/RvCr2x

8th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

2020 Crown Communities winner: El Paso County, Texas’ pretrial justice modernization dlvr.it/Rv4GKL

6th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

A city’s innovative downtown master plan sees future in local, inclusive placemaking dlvr.it/Rv3SfM

5th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

2020 Crown Communities winner: Gainesville, Fla. closes Dignity Village and houses its homeless population dlvr.it/Rv1GS2

5th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

2020 Crown Communities Winner: South Bay Cities Council of Governments’ South Bay Fiber Network dlvr.it/Rv10b7

5th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

Senate American Rescue Plan includes more than $60 million in direct aid for counties dlvr.it/RtzvBK

4th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

ASCE releases 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure dlvr.it/Rtvck5

3rd March 2021
AmerCityCounty

Updating the assessor report: A new approach dlvr.it/RttvDv

3rd March 2021

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X