Water Reclamation Plant Garners Award

Salt Lake City’s wastewater treatment facility receives AMSA Gold Award.

June 18, 2001

Jon Adams, Water Reclamation Manager strives to meet Salt Lake City’s commitment to environmental protection.

“May of 1992 was the last time we exceeded our permit limits,” says water reclamation manager Jon Adams. “We’re now in our 109th consecutive month of compliance.”   Adams oversees the operation and maintenance of Salt Lake City’s 56-million-gallon/day water reclamation plant. He deserves to be proud of this outstanding record. This past week, the Association of Metropolitan Sewage Agencies (AMSA) notified him that the treatment facility has again received a Peak Performance Award for calendar year 2000.  AMSA presented Adams with a “Gold Award” certificate for the plant achieving 100 percent compliance of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the entire year.

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.”

Water Reclamation Plant located in northern Salt Lake City west of I-15 at 2300 North.

Given this short time frame, the Department of Public Utilities is embarking on a program to increase treatment capacity. A $57 million capital improvements program has been approved to upgrade the system and treatment plant over the next 5 years. Currently projects include rebuilding the pretreatment plant and pumps. Cogeneration and a new force main from the Pretreatment Plant to the main plant are under design. Expansion of treatment processes to increase treatment capacity is being studied. Design and construction will take place beginning FY 2001-2002.

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.”