As Florida’s population rises, the demand for clean water and proper waste disposal continues to increase, requiring many wastewater treatment facilities to operate across the state. We visited an aging wastewater treatment facility in Lake City, Florida, and addressed rehabilitation-based needs and hydraulic improvements. Our project added a new 2-foot-by-6-foot channel in the facility’s headworks, where a screening system designed by Hydro-Dyne was installed.
To complete the project, we took the system offline, which disrupted daily activities and raised estimated costs. These raised costs came from bypass pumping, which re-routed water away from the construction area. We met system wash requirements during bypass pumping of 26 gallons per minute at a pressure of 60 pounds per square inch.
To prepare for the additional channel, we removed damaged piping and made concrete repairs. The new fine screening system we installed handles a peak flow of 7.5 million gallons of water per day. Adding another screening system in the headworks provided a more consistent flow, ensuring more water is treated for the surrounding area. It also ensured waste is captured and removed in accordance with the Clean Water Act and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Senate Bill 64.
Despite challenges such as a rural environment, aging infrastructure, and system downtime, our project illustrated how small municipalities provide clean drinking water for their surrounding areas.