Water Reclamation Plant Garners Award Salt Lake City’s wastewater treatment facility receives AMSA Gold Award. June 18, 2001
The water reclamation plant, located west of I-15 at 2300 North, in Salt Lake City was built in 1965 and upgraded during the 1980s. It treats wastewater generated from 50,000 connections within Salt Lake City. It's one of three wastewater treatment facilities serving Salt Lake County. During the past decade plus, it has run up an impressive record of awards. In all, the plant has received an AMSA Platinum Award and 11 Gold Awards. In 1989 and again in 1998, the treatment facility received the EPA Region VIII EPA Excellence Award for O&M Management. Adams credits the reclamation plant employees for the outstanding performance record. However, he notes that they must focus on meeting the future demands on the treatment facility. During the past several years there has been a steady increase in organic loading (BOD). This prompted a new sewer rate structure, based on waste strength, to hopefully control the loading increases. The increases are attributed to a strong economy and a growing population. Along with the rate restructuring, rates were increased by 12.5 percent in 2000. According to the 2000 census, Salt Lake City’s population increased over the past decade 13.6 percent to 181,743 people. The City’s population growth is part of the rapidly growing Wasatch Front. Since the last census, Salt Lake County’s population grew by 23.8 percent; neighboring Utah County increased by 39.8 percent and Davis County by 27.2 percent. With the increased loadings the water reclamation plant could exceed its organic treatment capacity in the next few years. In order to be prepared for the future, the Department of Public Utilities recently completed a master plan for both the sewer collection system and water reclamation plant. According to the Montgomery Watson report, “Assuming present growth projections and a projection of historic loading from 1984-2000, the plant’s BOD capacity of 89,000 pounds per day would be reached by the year 2008.” However, the report cautions, “Using a more conservative, assumed ‘text book’ value would cause this point to occur about 2003.”
Not resting on their laurels, Adams exclaims, “ We take seriously our commitment to environmental protection and to continue into the future the same high level of treatment performance that we have provided during the past decade.”
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