Doubling the Capacity of the Red Deer Water Treatment Plant Within the Existing Footprint

摘要

More stringent water quality standards, growing populations, space restrictions, and increasing pressure for environmental stewardship are some of the issues faced by municipal water treatment plants today. New and existing technologies are now being combined to provide environmentally friendly, cost-effective solutions to these problems. High-rate clarification systems and deep bed filters are capable of providing greater quantities of equivalent or better quality water than conventional systems without increasing the environmental footprint of a water treatment plant (WTP). UV disinfection technology provides a more ecologically aware disinfection option, with no harmful by-products produced and no significant impact on the environment. rnThe City of Red Deer in central Alberta, Canada, was faced with all these challenges: a burgeoning growth, tighter provincial drinking water regulations, a plant site that offered little opportunity for expansion, and a desire to operate more efficiently while being more environmentally conscientious. This paper describes the innovative design and retrofit of Actiflo～R pre-treatment, deep bed filtration and UV disinfection into the City’s water treatment plant (WTP2). The goal of this project was to double the treatment capacity, improve disinfection and meet the new drinking water quality standards without increasing the footprint or environmental impact of WTP2. rnThe project was completed in two phases: the first phase retrofitted one of the plant’s conventional clarifiers with two Actiflo～R pre-treatment units; the second phase converted the original filters to deep bed filters and retrofitted the remaining conventional clarifier with three UV reactors and two new deep bed filters. During construction, WTP2 had to remain in operation, creating unique challenges for the design and construction. The Actiflo～R retrofit was completed in May 2004, and has been successfully operating since that time. The UV addition and filter conversion/addition were completed in February 2006. rnThe paper discusses the various issues, including environmental considerations that were addressed in this marrying of new and existing technologies to meet future goals.