Welcome to the City of Lompoc

Wastewater Division

Wastewater Plant Update

Posted: December 9, 2008

Update November 2008: (Click on thumbnails to view pictures larger)

Influent Pump Station (IPS) The interior features of the IPS wetwell were completed in November and the pumps installed. These four pumps are custom-engineered variable speed nonclog mixed flow vertical column pumps for pumping raw sewage and are very tall. The length of the pump shaft is approximately 32 feet. Once the pumps were flown in place by crane, their discharge check and isolation valves were installed upstream of the discharge header piping. The remainder of the discharge piping was installed to convey the wastewater to the grit treatment unit.

IPS Pump Discharge Valve

IPS Discharge Header

Flying an IPS Pump
Placing IPS Pump
IPS Discharge Piping

Grit Handling The contractor is required to perform Operational Testing once all the testing of individual equipment performance was satisfactorily completed. The Grit system was the first unit to undergo Operational Testing. Temporary piping was set up to recirculate the water through the grit tanks and equipment for a minimum of 7 days. This Operational Testing was performed on the new filter/UV systems as well (see below).

Vactor Dump Station Control Panel

Adjacent to the grit tanks is a new station to receive the material removed from the City’s sewer pipes when they are cleaned. A “vactor” truck will suck the material (grease, grit) from the pipes and bring it to the plant for processing. The control panel for the equipment which separates the material from the water sucked up with it was installed.

Oxidation Ditches (OD) After the four aeration blowers were installed and started up last month, initial testing was performed on the four aeration diffuser grids (two per OD). Approximately 4 inches of water were placed over the diffusers and air from the blowers introduced to check for leaks and air distribution balance.

After this testing was completed, the contractor began filling the tanks with effluent from the existing treatment plant.

One final structure was installed over each OD: bridge walkways which include baffles under the bridges that are partly submerged in the water and guide foam and scum out of the ODs for additional treatment and disposal.

Testing OD Air Diffusers

Filling the ODs

OD Bridge

Secondary Clarifiers Some final remaining equipment was installed in these tanks as well as verification of the proper operation of a seal on the settled sludge collection system. The tanks were prepared to enter the Operational Testing phase.

Algae Sweep Equipment Installed

Solids Handling Waste sludge removed from the bottom of the secondary clarifiers will be pumped to the new Dissolved Air Floatation Thickeners (DAFTs) to prepare for final treatment in the anaerobic digesters. The underslab electrical conduits were installed, rebar located and the concrete slabs poured.

The floor on the inside of the DAFT tanks received its final grout topping. The grout was pumped in by concrete truck then hand finished to a smooth surface.

Sludge that leaves the anaerobic digesters collects in storage lagoons to be pumped out for drying once a year. The sludge will be pumped out with floating sludge dredges. One of the dredges was installed in the west lagoon.

DAFT Area Conduit

Rebar Installed

Concrete Pour
Floating Grout
Floating Sludge Dredge

Secondary Effluent Equalization Pump Station (SEEPS) In order to prepare for the work which will be performed to modify the existing aeration tanks to equalization (EQ) tanks, some of the sheetpiles were relocated to allow additional excavation. Piping cored through the new EQ tanks walls will convey water to the SEEPS. This pump station will send the water to be dosed with a conditioning chemical before reaching the new cloth media filters.

SEEPS Sheetpiles

Filtration/Ultraviolet Disinfection (FUV) As described above, Operational Testing was completed on the cloth media filter and ultraviolet disinfection treatment units. Temporary piping was installed to cycle plant effluent through the tanks.

Temporary Piping for FUV
Filter Processing Water
Glow from UV Lamps

Hot Water Boilers Hot water supply and return piping continued to be installed between the boilers and the anaerobic digesters. The temperature of this hot water will be transferred to the sludge in the digesters to keep the microorganisms warm and happy and working to decompose the waste they’re fed.

Boiler Building

Emergency Electrical Genset The electrical subcontractor worked to install the wiring connecting the genset to the treatment plant. Additionally, the engine was fueled up to run under load testing. This testing verified that the genset would produce sufficient power to run the essential plant equipment during an unanticipated loss of utility electrical power.

Filling the 5000 Gallon
Fuel Tank
Genset Conduit
Genset Load Testing

Site Grading Since all of the underground structures have been completed, the contractor began grading the site for the new roads which will be installed to provide access to the new equipment and treatment units. The new road beds were graded and concrete curbs formed up and poured.

New Access Road Bed

Training City plant staff continued to train on the new equipment and treatment units such as the secondary clarifiers and the cloth-media filter units. The contractor has the equipment manufacturers provide skilled technical trainers discuss function, operation, maintenance and repair of all the new equipment.

Training in a Secondary Clarifier
Filter Training Session

Check back again in January to see what happened in December.

Update November 2008: (Click on thumbnails to view pictures larger)

Influent Pump Station (IPS) The interior features of the IPS wetwell were completed in November and the pumps installed. These four pumps are custom-engineered variable speed nonclog mixed flow vertical column pumps for pumping raw sewage and are very tall. The length of the pump shaft is approximately 32 feet. Once the pumps were flown in place by crane, their discharge check and isolation valves were installed upstream of the discharge header piping. The remainder of the discharge piping was installed to convey the wastewater to the grit treatment unit.		IPS Pump Discharge Valve IPS Discharge Header
Flying an IPS Pump	Placing IPS Pump	IPS Discharge Piping

Grit Handling The contractor is required to perform Operational Testing once all the testing of individual equipment performance was satisfactorily completed. The Grit system was the first unit to undergo Operational Testing. Temporary piping was set up to recirculate the water through the grit tanks and equipment for a minimum of 7 days. This Operational Testing was performed on the new filter/UV systems as well (see below).		Vactor Dump Station Control Panel
Adjacent to the grit tanks is a new station to receive the material removed from the City’s sewer pipes when they are cleaned. A “vactor” truck will suck the material (grease, grit) from the pipes and bring it to the plant for processing. The control panel for the equipment which separates the material from the water sucked up with it was installed.

Oxidation Ditches (OD) After the four aeration blowers were installed and started up last month, initial testing was performed on the four aeration diffuser grids (two per OD). Approximately 4 inches of water were placed over the diffusers and air from the blowers introduced to check for leaks and air distribution balance. After this testing was completed, the contractor began filling the tanks with effluent from the existing treatment plant. One final structure was installed over each OD: bridge walkways which include baffles under the bridges that are partly submerged in the water and guide foam and scum out of the ODs for additional treatment and disposal.		Testing OD Air Diffusers Filling the ODs OD Bridge

Secondary Clarifiers Some final remaining equipment was installed in these tanks as well as verification of the proper operation of a seal on the settled sludge collection system. The tanks were prepared to enter the Operational Testing phase.		Algae Sweep Equipment Installed

Solids Handling Waste sludge removed from the bottom of the secondary clarifiers will be pumped to the new Dissolved Air Floatation Thickeners (DAFTs) to prepare for final treatment in the anaerobic digesters. The underslab electrical conduits were installed, rebar located and the concrete slabs poured. The floor on the inside of the DAFT tanks received its final grout topping. The grout was pumped in by concrete truck then hand finished to a smooth surface. Sludge that leaves the anaerobic digesters collects in storage lagoons to be pumped out for drying once a year. The sludge will be pumped out with floating sludge dredges. One of the dredges was installed in the west lagoon.		DAFT Area Conduit
		Rebar Installed
Concrete Pour	Floating Grout	Floating Sludge Dredge

Secondary Effluent Equalization Pump Station (SEEPS) In order to prepare for the work which will be performed to modify the existing aeration tanks to equalization (EQ) tanks, some of the sheetpiles were relocated to allow additional excavation. Piping cored through the new EQ tanks walls will convey water to the SEEPS. This pump station will send the water to be dosed with a conditioning chemical before reaching the new cloth media filters.		SEEPS Sheetpiles

Filtration/Ultraviolet Disinfection (FUV) As described above, Operational Testing was completed on the cloth media filter and ultraviolet disinfection treatment units. Temporary piping was installed to cycle plant effluent through the tanks.
Temporary Piping for FUV	Filter Processing Water	Glow from UV Lamps

Hot Water Boilers Hot water supply and return piping continued to be installed between the boilers and the anaerobic digesters. The temperature of this hot water will be transferred to the sludge in the digesters to keep the microorganisms warm and happy and working to decompose the waste they’re fed.		Boiler Building

Emergency Electrical Genset The electrical subcontractor worked to install the wiring connecting the genset to the treatment plant. Additionally, the engine was fueled up to run under load testing. This testing verified that the genset would produce sufficient power to run the essential plant equipment during an unanticipated loss of utility electrical power.
Filling the 5000 Gallon Fuel Tank	Genset Conduit	Genset Load Testing

Site Grading Since all of the underground structures have been completed, the contractor began grading the site for the new roads which will be installed to provide access to the new equipment and treatment units. The new road beds were graded and concrete curbs formed up and poured.		New Access Road Bed

Training City plant staff continued to train on the new equipment and treatment units such as the secondary clarifiers and the cloth-media filter units. The contractor has the equipment manufacturers provide skilled technical trainers discuss function, operation, maintenance and repair of all the new equipment.
Training in a Secondary Clarifier		Filter Training Session

Check back again in January to see what happened in December.