Modular Water Systems Transforms Failing High School Wastewater Treatment System

Water High-Tech Upholds Sanitation Standards

IFAS (INTEGRATED FILM ACTIVATED SLUDGE) POWERED WASTEWATER TREATMENT

THE PROBLEM

Beginning as early as the fall of 2010, public records show the Superintendent of Schools for Escambia County, Florida, coping with the effects of Northview High School’s steadily worsening wastewater treatment plant. Through administrative measures, like petitioning for variances and waivers from required sampling and testing to monitor wastewater parameters, the School District had managed to keep the school’s doors open and the education of their students moving forward. But, that didn’t solve the underlying safety and sanitation concerns. Patch-ups of the plant were done but what it really needed was a total overhaul.

THE SOLUTION

Finally in the fall of 2019 the School District of Escambia County issued a School Board Executive Summary with the aim to forward District Goal #3 – “Improving operational continuity in the learning and work environment.” One of several items on the agenda was replacement of the wastewater treatment plant at Northview High.

A local Pensacola Civil Engineering firm was retained by the Escambia County School District for the project, and they selected Modular Water Systems as the basis of design and for the equipment manufacturing.

Based upon the wastewater effluent standard required, Modular Water Systems proposed to furnish a prefabricated wastewater treatment plant based on an integrated biofilm process,  recommending its EveraTREAT 28,000 gallon per day, Integrated Film Activated Sludge (IFAS) treatment system as an excellent equipment solution for this project. 

THE RESULT

Modular Water’s proposal was accepted and we manufactured and facilitated installation of the EveraTREAT 28K-IFAS wastewater treatment system. An exceptional quality of water was produced which met and exceeded permit requirements and the customer is extremely happy with the water quality outcome. The required flow rate of 28,000 gallons per day was easily achieved.

SYSTEM COMPONENTS

MWS – Modular Water Systems.
EVM – EveraMOD, MWS pump and lift station product line.
EVT – EveraTREAT. MWS advanced wastewater treatment product line.
EVB – EveraBOX. MWS modular wastewater treatment equipment buildings product line.
WWTP – Waste water treatment plant.
PP – Polypropylene.
NH3 – Ammonia is an inorganic chemical compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH3.

SUPPORT SERVICES

The support consisted of on-site installation support services including the services of a factory Field Technician who assisted with off-loading, equipment installation, general guidance on field piping and wiring, and overall final system field erection. 

On-site vendor commissioning and operator training support services included a Waste Water Treatment Plant Operations/Controls Integration Specialist to work with the contractor, owner and owner’s designated operator. The operators were thoroughly trained on the comprehensive maintenance manuals.

Engineering services delivered were Complete Process Design support including detailed biological process calculations tailored for the exact flow rate, influent loading, and effluent required for the school’s wastewater operation.  3D modeled equipment drawings were provided for ease of understanding along with 2D permit drawings (depicting the equipment in plan and section views), an Installation Guide, and Operation & Maintenance Manuals.

MEETING EFFLUENT STANDARDS

Integrated Film Activated Sludge (IFAS)

IFAS is a cutting-edge biological treatment method that combines suspended growth and biofilm technologies in a single reactor. By introducing attached growth media (either fixed or free-floating) to specific zones in an activated sludge tank, IFAS significantly boosts biomass growth without increasing mixed liquid suspended solids, enhancing the treatment process.

The system is designed to treat the specified influent flow rate and organic loading to produce an effluent that meets or exceeds the maximum stipulated effluent conditions as further described in the table below.

ConstituentInfluentEffluent (max)
Flow Rate28,000 GPD (ADF)
BOD5300 mg/L< 20 mg/L
TSS300 mg/L< 5 mg/L
TKN70 mg/L< 12 mg/L (TKN)
Phosphorous10 mg/L< 4
pH6.5 to 8.56.5 to 8.5
Fats, Oils, Grease< 10 mg/LNA
Water Temperature40 F to 95 F< 105 F

GPD-Gallons Per Day , ADF-Average Daily Flow
BOD-Biological Oxygen Demand is a measurement of the amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) that is used by aerobic microorganisms when decomposing organic matter in water. When BOD levels are high, dissolved oxygen levels decrease because the oxygen that is available in the water is being consumed by the bacteria.
BOD5-The 5-day biochemical oxygen demand is the total amount of oxygen used by microorganisms decomposing organic matter. BOD increases each day until the ultimate BOD is reached, usually in 50 to 70 days. BOD usually refers to the 5-day BOD.
TSS-Total Suspended Solids is the dry-weight of suspended particles, that are not dissolved, in a sample of water that can be trapped by a filter that is analyzed using a filtration apparatus.
TKN-Total Kjedhal Nitrogen 
is the U.S. EPA-approved parameter used to measure organic nitrogen and ammonia, ammonium salts, nitrites, nitrates, and organic nitrogen compounds.

MORE ABOUT IFAS

IFAS systems are uniquely suited for typical domestic and municipal waste streams.   As a simple biotechnology, the Integrated Film Activated Sludge provides years of trouble free service while consistently producing Secondary Level Effluent.*

  • IFAS Systems combine Activated Sludge bioreactors with Fixed Film (biofilm) treatment in a single-stage aerobic biological process
  • IFAS systems can utilize either Stationary Fixed Film or Fluidized Media Fixed Film Systems 
  • IFAS is superior to conventional Activated Sludge systems by fostering enhanced BOD removal and Complete Nitrification.

Key Benefits:
🔹 More robust treatment process
🔹 Enhanced nitrification compared to traditional suspended growth systems
🔹 Reduced sludge production
🔹 Smaller footprint than conventional technologies
🔹 Cost-effective to build

*Secondary level effluent, or secondary treatment effluent, is wastewater that has been treated to remove biodegradable organic matter (BOD) and suspended solids (TSS). EveraTREAT IFAS systems are designed for higher influent loading conditions and are capable of operating at flows and loading twice the average daily design rating.  This functionality instills the owner with the confidence of knowing the system will get the job done.

AGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND SANITATION

A growing number of communities across the US are being faced with the effects of decaying infrastructure, much of which was built over the past 50-100 years with primary components such as concrete, brick and steel.

In the case of onsite wastewater treatment installations in public schools, or other similar public facilities, particularly in light of recent events like the pandemic and resultant lockdowns, sanitation is a major concern and responsibility of officials and managers.

CONCLUSION

The life service cycle of conventional concrete and steel installations ranges 20-25 years where wastewater is concerned, due to its corrosive nature, which is highly impractical. Given population growth and the demand for new and replacement facilities and installations being generated by booming suburban sprawl, significantly longer life cycles and shorter installation times are vital.

New solutions and technologies, such as Modular Water Systems innovative use of Heavy Plastics Manufacturing and its recyclable, 100 year life-cycle High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Polypropelene (PP) product lines are the future of wastewater treatment.

The popularity of these systems and demand for them from wastewater treatment professionals is soaring due to their durablility. That, and the fact that the systems are fully engineered and prepackaged in the factory so arrive onsite requiring relatively simple assembly which considerably shortens installation times.

Northview High School
Historical Relevance

School Board of Escambia County Signs Small Package Plant Sludge Receiving and Processing Agreement

The School Board of Escambia County operates dozens of schools, among which, Northview High School services an average of 600 students each year. Waste management for the schools is handled by small package plants. (READ MORE)

A small package plant, also known as a package treatment plant, is a pre-fabricated wastewater treatment facility that can be used to treat wastewater in small communities or on individual properties. Package plants are a decentralized wastewater treatment system that can treat flows from 2000 GPD up to as high as 500,000 GPD though usual volumes are between 10,000 and 250,000 GPD. They are often used in housing and subdivisions, mobile home parks, small to medium-sized towns, remote sites, military bases, power plants, and manufacturing facilities.

In October of 2013 The School Board of Escambia signed a small package plant sludge receiving and processing agreement with the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority to accept up to 7,000 GPD of their waste activated (pretreated) sludge at the Central Water Reclamation Facility in Pensacola. Modular Water Systems’ EveraTREAT 28K-IFAS advanced wastewater treatment plant enables the School District to meet the required standards.

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