WATER TREATMENT PROCESS

Raw Water Intake Facility Raw Water Transmission Line Water Treatment Plant

Raw Water Intake Facility

The contract bids were received on September 10, 2001 and the start of construction notice was issued for November 26, 2001. The raw water intake structure was completed on November 27, 2002. The raw water intake screen is located in the Duck River (at mile 166.0) approximately 6" from the river bottom(which consists of solid rock and promotes scouring and lessens the likely hood of sediment buildup). The raw water intake screen has dimensions of 2' diameter by 8'-8" in length. The intake screen is made of an alloy material that is zebra mussel resistant. Zebra mussels are located within the Tennessee River and create problems when they attach themselves to intake screens, they will actually clog up the openings of the screen. Therefore, if the Zebra mussel migrates up the Duck River to the raw water intake, a preventative measure is in place. The intake screen also includes an air purge system that consists of an air compressor and a 3" airline that purges air through the screen (on a timed basis or manually controlled basis) to blow off any lodged debris or sediment that may accumulate around the screen. Raw water from the river is conveyed by gravity (through an 18-inch ductile iron gravity line) to the wetwell (57-feet deep by 10-feet wide by 20-feet long) that maintains a level of water equal to the river's water level. A sluice gate valve is located at the wetwell wall that will allow the flow from the river and through the 18-inch line to be shut off. The wetwell is constructed approximately 5.50-feet below the river bottom as to allow the vertical turbine pumps to have a wetwell depth to pump from during worstcase low flow conditions of the river. The raw water pumps are vertical turbine pumps that lift the water to the headworks of the plant. The pumps are rated at 2800 gpm (4.0 MOD) each at 305-feet of total dynamic head (TDH) and are controlled by variable frequency drives (VFD's). Both pumps combined will pump approximately 4200-gpm (6.0 MGD). Each pump is operated with a 300-HP motor. The VFD's serve three basic functions: 1) The VFDs start the pumps at a slow rate (45-seconds typically) to prevent large power draws 2) The VFDs shut the pumps off at a slow rate (typically 45seconds) to prevent flow surges within the 18-inch raw water transmission line 3) The VFDs allow the pumping rates to be controlled by adjusting the frequency/speed of the pumps (the pumps have a 60-

hertz power frequency and the pump manufacturer has recommended not to adjust the frequency lower than 50% or 30-hertz, this will allow the pumps to properly supply water to the bearings during start-up). Potassium permanganate (KMNO4) is fed into the raw water line (at a point in the valve pit located on the header piping/discharge side of the pumps). The amount of KMNO4 that is fed to the line is controlled by an inline flow meter (it is flow proportional) and monitored by the analyzer that draws a sample from the line (accessed by the manhole located at the entrance drive adjacent to the guardrail). The KMNO4 is utilized as an oxidizer to remove iron and manganese that may be present in the raw water. The 6.5 miles of residence time (10.80 hours at 2800 gpm) within the 18-inch line will provide more than adequate time to oxidize the iron and manganese prior to entering the water treatment process. The raw water intake facility contains an emergency generator that has been sized to provide power for all equipment and for both pumps to operate at the same time. The operator floor is at elevation 633.00, the 100-year flood elevation of the Duck River at mile 166 (as provided by TVA) is 632.00. All pumps, chemical feed, air purge, generator, wetwell level, and rainfall data will be controlled and monitored by the operator at the control center located at the water treatment plant via the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system that communicates from the raw water intake to the water treatment plant by telemetry. ::Back To Top::

Raw Water Transmission Line Contract bids for the raw water transmission line were received on September 10, 2001 and notice of construction was issued for November 26, 2001. The project was completed on March 17,2003. The raw water is pumped from the Duck River approximately 6.5 miles to the water treatment plant through 2,500 LF of 18-inch diameter ductile iron pipe (located from the intake structure to Carpenter's Bridge Road) and then through 28,900 LF of 18-inch diameter C905 PVC pipe to the water treatment plant. The wall thickness of the C905 PVC pipe is approximately 1.25 " and can be located via the 16 gauge copper

location wire taped to the pipe line. The routing of the raw water transmission line is along the north side of the intake access road, east side of Carpenters Bridge Road, south side of Hwy 99, east side of Joe Brown Road (to a point at the crest of the hill just south of Kedron Road and then the line crosses to the west side of the road), north side of Kedron Road, and the east side of Port Royal Road. Thirteen combination air/vacuum release valves are located on the raw water line at various high points. The valve sizes are 3", 4", and 6" and the function of the valves are to bleed off any air that accumulates at the high points to prevent air locks and vacuums from forming in the line. The highest point along the raw water line routing is located just west of the Mt. Lebanon Cumberland Presbyterian Church located on Kedron Road (elevation 776.50+/-). The raw water transmission line also contains 420-feet of 30-inch steel casing pipe (that was bored in solid rock utilizing directional boring equipment) under Interstate 65 and Joe Peay Road. The 30-inch steel casing pipe contains the 18-inch raw water transmission line.

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Water Treatment Plant The contract bids for the water treatment plant were received September 10, 2001 and the construction start notice was issued for November 26, 2001. The water treatment plant was put into operations on August 18, 2003. Headworks The water enters the treatment building via the 18-inch raw water line. The flow is measured through an electromagnetic flow meter. Sampling

of the raw water (turbidity, pH, and temperature) is performed at the pre-monitoring location. Chlorine (pre-disinfectant/oxidizer), Caustic Soda (pH adjuster), and Alum (coagulant) are then added proportionally based on the actual flow rate measured by the flow meter and characteristics of the water as identified by the analyzers. A streaming current monitor controls the Alum feed rate based on the measured electrical charge of the raw water after the Alum (coagulant) has been dosed. An inline static mixer (located beneath the trench grating) rapidly mixes the chemicals into the water to an even consistency. The water turns 90-degrees to rise to the headworks splitter box. A polymer (anionic/negatively charged) flocculant aid is added just before the water enters the splitter box (polymers will be broken down chemically if fed prior to the static mixer). The polymer draws the coagulants together to form a larger flocculant as to promote settling. Two fixed weirs control flow of water into the left and right superpulsator clarifiers. Superpulsator Clarifiers Water enters two (2) superpulsator clarifiers from the bottom and flow is promoted in an upward direction by the suction force of the vacuum chamber. In addition to the steady vacuum pressure a small pulse is introduced in the vacuum chamber causing the water in the clarifier to vibrate as it rises. The coagulated flocculants or sludge settles to the bottom of the superpulsator and is periodically drained off to the backwash lagoons. The clean water rises to the top (through a series of baffles and tube settlers that promote settling of the coagulated flocculants) and enters the center concrete channel to flow toward the Greenleaf Filters. Greenleaf Filters Water enters the four filter chambers through the annular shaped vacuum chamber. The filters consist of multiple layers of filter media (3"of torpedo sand, 12" of filter sand, and 18" of anthracite) to trap any remaining particulates. Finished water from each filter flows down through the filter layers and into an 18-inch pipe that conveys the water into the concrete wet box. Each filter has a footprint area of approximately 256 SF with a design flow rate of 3.01 gpm/SF, which equals a daily flow of 1.1 MGD.

Therefore, all four (4) filters have a design capacity of 4.4 MGD (say 4.0 MGD). The peak hydraulic flow rate of each filter is 4.01 gpm/SF or 1.48 MGD. Therefore, all four (4) filters have a hydraulic peak rate capacity of 5.92 MGD (say 6.0 MGD). Filter Backwash The filters are backwashed (cleaned) one at a time on an as needed basis, based on the head loss (amount of sediment) of the filter. The backwashing of each filter utilizes both air and water to clean and scour the filter media. The filter is air scoured for a period of 5 minutes and then allowed to settle for 1.5 minutes. The filter is then backwashed with clean treated water for a period of 10 minutes in which the clean water used for backwashing is conveyed from the wet box to the bottom side of the filter, based on the hydraulic height of the water level in the wet box. The water level is maintained in the wet box with the backwash pump (rated at 3,465 gpm) which draws clean finished water from the clearwell and adds it to the wet box. The backwash flow is measured with an electro-magnetic flow meter to determine how much water is used for filter backwashes. The backwash pump also allows the clearwell to be emptied if ever needed for inspections and/or repairs. The filter valve to the wet box is then closed and the rewash valve is opened and allows the water from the filter to be conveyed to the backwash lagoons for a period of 5 minutes. This 5 minute rewash cycle allows any suspended residual particles remaining in the filter to be rewashed back to the backwash lagoons prior to allowing water through the filter to the wet box. Turbidity of the finished treated water is constantly monitored from each filter prior to the flow entering the wet box. Wet Box Caustic (pH adjuster), phosphate (distribution system corrosion inhibitor), fluoride (dental protection), and chlorine (disinfectant) are added to the finished water in the wet box at a point just below the weir. The clean treated water then flows over the weir and into the clearwell. Clearwell

The clearwell (520,000 gallons located beneath the operator floor) allows proper contact time for the chemicals to react. The clearwell contains several baffle walls that provides a designed flow path from the point of entry into the clearwell to a point located at the high service pumps. The clearwell baffle walls are similar to a maze structure forcing the water to travel a specific path prior to leaving the plant. At the end of the path the water is lifted by the high service pumps and sent to the distribution system. The water is sampled for chlorine residual and fluoride prior to leaving the building. Backwash Lagoons The backwash lagoons are utilized as settling basins to settle out the particles and sludge from the treatment process prior to discharging the clean settled water to the tributary of Rutherford Creek. The first lagoon is the primary settlement lagoon that collects the larger/heavier solids while the second lagoon (located nearest Kedron Road) is the secondary or polishing lagoon that further settles out any remaining suspended solids located within the backwash water. The contact time within the backwash lagoons allows the residual treatment chemicals to breakdown and volatize prior to discharge to the surface waters of the tributary of Rutherford Creek. High Service Pumps The high service pumps are each rated at 2800 gpm (4.0 MGD) at 432feet of TDK. Both pumps are vertical turbine types operated by variable frequency drives (VFDs). Each pump is operated with a 400-HP motor. The VFD's also have the three functions as described earlier with the raw water pumps. The finished water is measured by an electromagnetic flow meter. Both pumps operating together will pump approximately 4200 gpm (6.0 MGD).

Controls The water treatment plant is controlled by a state of the art SCADA system. The SCADA system allows

complete operations of all the equipment located at the raw water intake facility, water treatment plant, and pumping stations within the distribution system. Levels of the water storage tanks are also monitored by the SCADA system. The control computers are located in the laboratory in which one is a primary computer and the second is a secondary backup computer in case of primary failure. A laptop computer is also part of the SCADA control system in which the chief operator can carry the laptop computer anywhere and dial in by cell phone on a secured (password and firewall) protected line. The laptop allows complete operations and control of all the functions of the water plant, raw water intake, and distribution system should the need arise. The water treatment plant can also be operated manually should the need arise. A backup generator is sized to power the entire water treatment plant process and both high service pumps operating at the same time. Concrete and Reinforcement Steel The amount of concrete and reinforcement steel utilized in the construction of the water treatment plant and installed at the clearwell, operator's floor, wet box, dry box, filter basins, clarifier basins, vacuum chamber, and clarifier effluent troughs, contain the following material quantities:

Concrete (2,145 cubic yards) Concrete Reinforcement Steel (265,776 Ibs)

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