Inc. (DBF), an upgrade to the existing water system was designed with many factors in mind: • continued use of the existing water treatment facility during construc- tion, • elimination of contaminants, • efficiency, • architectural aesthetics, and • project funding. Initial funding for the upgrade came in the form of a low-interest loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). However, because the new system was able to surpass the required goals, the $2.75 million loan would not have to be repaid. Additional grants came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Program and Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Envi- ronmental Control. Serving as an integral part in improving water quality for the residents of the Town of Selbyville, DBF provided full-service surveying, archi- tectural, and engineering services for the water treatment facility up- grade. The supplementary system consists of two 30-foot-tall aeration towers where water flows downward while air flows upward. Volatile contaminants such as MTBE evaporate when they touch the air and, as a result, are removed from the water. Upon construction comple- tion, the valve to the new water system was opened and the treatment process was successfully placed online. “Our architectural and engineering team worked seamlessly through- out the project,” said DBF Principal Jason Loar, P.E. “When our engi- neering team sized the aerators to 30 feet tall, the building’s aesthetics became a challenge. DBF’s architecture team was able to take the building requirements and transform it into a unique building design inspired by the Eastern Shore’s historic grain barns.”
DBF also addressed architectural challenges to balance the aesthetics of installing the new water treatment facility in the center of the town’s historic district.
The firm’s design team also addressed architectural challenges to bal- ance the aesthetics of installing the new facility in the center of the town’s historic district. Working with the State Historic Preservation Office to ensure compliance with regulations, DBF’s design team also received input from the town council following its review of color renderings for the building options. Construction of the new system was completed on-schedule and on- budget, and the entire project complied with EPA’s American Iron and Steel Requirements (AIS). As a direct result of the town officials’ early acknowledgment of well contamination combined with their deter- mined persistence in finding a successful resolution, MTBE presence in the water system now tests well below the EPA limits.
Information provided by Davis, Bowen & Friedel, Inc. (www.dbfinc.com), a full-service architectural, engineering, and surveying firm.
WATER + STORMWATER
verification was pursued well into the plant’s operational life, making this the oldest infrastructure project that has been verified by the Envi- sion sustainable infrastructure rating system. The original NEORSD Southerly Plant became operational in 1928 and underwent a major rehabilitation in 1974 with investments of $400 million. More recently, construction of a Renewable Energy Facility (REF) at the Southerly Plant became fully operational in 2014, which was a key driver to pursuing Envision verification for the facility. “As a progressive, environmental organization, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is proud to be recognized for its continued in- frastructure investments at its Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant, the largest wastewater treatment plant in the State of Ohio and the 12th largest in the nation. These investments, including the construction of the Renewable Energy Facility, a state-of-the-art incineration facility that, in part, reduces the plant’s natural gas consumption and electrical
Upgrading to sustainable standards
Cleveland area wastewater treatment plant is the oldest project verified by the Envision sustainable infrastructure rating system.
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in the Greater Cleveland area received the Envision Silver award for sustainable infrastructure from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). Typically applied at the planning and design stages of infrastructure development, the Envision system rates infrastructure projects across the full range of environmental, social, and economic impacts. For the NEORSD Southerly Plant, a pilot initiative was undertaken in which Envision
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march 2018
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