Utah Wastewater Treatment Plant Receives Upgrades

Sept. 28, 2020

Utah's Tremonton City’s wastewater treatment facility is up and running.

A $3 million expansion and upgrade of Tremonton City, Utah’s wastewater treatment facilities is complete.

This upgrade includes a new process for removing phosphorus and other harmful nutrients before water is sent back out into the environment, according to the Herald Journal.

According to Public Works Director Paul Fulgham, the project is the result of new federal requirements to improve water quality. 

Fulgham and his crew are now tasked with creating the right conditions to promote the growth of the bacteria that consume the nutrients and allow the facility to meet new federally mandated limits on nutrients discharged into the river, reported the Herald Journal.

“It’s a brand new process for us,” said Fulgham. “Our job is to keep our bugs happy, and we do that with food, oxygen, and then removing some to where we do not overpopulate. We’re kind of bug herders. This treatment facility is a living, functioning thing.”

Phosphorus and other elements coming from farms, wastewater and other sources contribute to the growth of algal blooms. 

The facility has also installed a new screen at the point where raw sewage and wastewater first come in. According to Fulgham, the screen catches a lot of material, such as cell phones and misplaced false teeth that ended up going down the drain.

Another component of the upgrades is the addition of a second dewatering screw, a device that runs the treated wastewater through a pressurized chamber, squeezing it through a fine mesh screen to separate liquids from solids, reported the Herald Journal. The solids are then transported to the city’s composting facility out near the county landfill.

Read related content about wastewater treatment:

About the Author

Cristina Tuser

Sponsored Recommendations

Blower Package Integration

March 20, 2024
See how an integrated blower package can save you time, money, and energy, in a wastewater treatment system. With package integration, you have a completely integrated blower ...

Strut Comparison Chart

March 12, 2024
Conduit support systems are an integral part of construction infrastructure. Compare steel, aluminum and fiberglass strut support systems.

Energy Efficient System Design for WWTPs

Feb. 7, 2024
System splitting with adaptive control reduces electrical, maintenance, and initial investment costs.

Blower Isentropic Efficiency Explained

Feb. 7, 2024
Learn more about isentropic efficiency and specific performance as they relate to blowers.