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Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits Recorded On: 04/25/2025
AC25 Conference and Expo; Waves of Change, Navigating The Future Of Water. April 22-25| Palm Springs
CWEA Members: $35.00
Non-Members $45.00
CWEA Contact Hours: 1.0 contact hours towards CWEA Certifications: AWTPresentation Description: Water reclamation facilities are facing a variety of new challenges, including the move toward potable reuse and new regulations to limit nitrogen discharges. This presentation explores the interactions between secondary effluent quality, potable reuse, and nitrogen removal.
Successful potable reuse requires high-quality, consistent secondary effluent. The first part of this presentation will discuss typical advanced treatment trains for potable reuse and identify the critical design parameters impacted by the secondary treatment processes. Key differences between secondary treatment types will be quantified. The evaluation documents higher concentrations and higher variability in non-nitrifying facilities for several key parameters for potable reuse design, including total organic carbon (TOC), ammonia, and nitrite. For non-nitrifying plants, average TOCs ranged from 14 to 27 mg-N/L; nitrifying plants averaged 10 mg-N/L or less. Some non-nitrifying plants routinely reported nitrite concentrations above 2 mg-N/L, and even the fully nitrified facilities occasionally reported nitrite concentrations above 1 mg-N/L and ammonia concentrations above 2 mg-N/L. Plants considering potable reuse should begin monitoring TOC and nitrite to provide data for advanced treatment design. Optimization or upgrades to secondary treatment may be necessary, depending on the advanced treatment goals and requirements. The presentation will help planners and designers understand the suitability and challenges of their secondary effluent for potable reuse.
Plants with new nitrogen limits are considering multi-benefit solutions incorporating recycled water and potable reuse to reduce nitrogen discharges. The second part of this presentation will discuss the impact of potable reuse on nitrogen discharges. A variety of upgrade scenarios for a conventional BOD-removal only plant upgrading to potable reuse will be considered, and the impact on nitrogen removal will be quantified. Scenarios considered include different secondary treatment types (conventional BOD-removal like trickling filter solids contact and nitrification/denitrification in activated sludge), different management of reverse osmosis concentrate (discharge of concentrate, return of concentrate to the plant influent, and separate treatment of concentrate), and a range of potable reuse flows. Although each plant situation is unique, the results will help planners and designers understand the feasibility of using potable reuse to reduce nitrogen discharges and the key factors that impact nitrogen discharges.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participants will be able to list three secondary effluent quality parameters key to potable reuse design.
Upon completion, participants will be able to describe the suitability and challenges of their secondary effluent for potable reuse.
Upon completion, participants will be able to understand the key potable reuse design decisions that impact nitrogen discharges."Linda K. Sawyer (she/her/hers)
Senior Process Engineer
Brown and Caldwell
Dr. Sawyer has 30 years of experience in wastewater process engineering and currently leads Brown and Caldwell’s wastewater process engineering team in California, Nevada, and Arizona. She specializes in evaluating the whole plant to optimize process designs and evaluate the impacts of liquid, solids, and side stream treatment process changes. Her project experience includes planning, alternatives selection, design, support during construction, and operational support.
Registrants who view the live webinar to see the slides and hear the audio and then enter the correct attention check code (directions below)1.0 contact hours towards CWEA's Contact Hours. AWT
To receive your contact hours for viewing the live webinar, please note the one (1) attention check code that will be displayed during the webinar in the top left or right corner of the presentation for approximately 90 seconds. Please enter this code in the Attention Check Code component under the "Contents" tab.
Please note, all user activity of CWEA certification holders on the Online Wastewater Education Network is subject to the CWEA Code of Ethics standards for professional conduct and ethics. Certification holders should receive credit for a training only once within the same contact hour period. Any attempt to undermine the certification process may be subject to ethics procedures and possible sanctions. It is not possible to receive contact hours for both attending the live webinar and viewing the recording.
Once you have entered the correct attendance check code, you will be able to create and download an electronic "Certificate of Completion" under the "Contents" tab.
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Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits Recorded On: 04/25/2025
AC25 Conference and Expo; Waves of Change, Navigating The Future Of Water. April 22-25| Palm Springs
CWEA Members: $35.00
Non-Members $45.00
CWEA Contact Hours: 1.0 contact hours towards CWEA Certifications: AWTPresentation Description: California DPR Regulations require ozone and biological active carbon (BAC) filtration ahead of full advanced treatment consisting of reverse osmosis (RO) and advanced oxidation process (AOP). The main purpose of ozone and BAC is to address low molecular weight organic compounds some of which such as acetone, formaldehyde cannot be effectively removed by the full advanced treatment. The other purpose of ozone-BAC is to provide an additional barrier for chemical peak “averaging”.
While Ozone-BAC can provide an effective barrier for low molecular weight compounds that are poorly removed by full advanced treatment, the capabilities of ozone-BAC is limited to relatively small chemical peaking based on North City chemical spike studies. However, one critical area has not come to closer attention of State Water Board. That is the secondary treatment. In this presentation, we will explain inevitable role of secondary treatment in a DPR train. First, an activated sludge based secondary treatment can provide excellent removal for slowly biodegradable organic compounds such as acetone, formaldehyde and all other low molecular alcohols and ketones that are poorly removed by full advanced treatment. Second, a secondary treatment can provide nitrogen control which is critical to meet nitrite and nitrate nitrogen primary MCLs of 1 and 10 mg/L, respectively. These limits may not be reliably met in RO-based full advanced treatment if no nitrogen control is provided in the upstream wastewater treatment plant (e.g., Hyperion WRP).
Third, a good nitrogen control is essential to minimize secondary effluent nitrite concentration which creates very high ozone demand during ozonation. Last but not least, a well-designed and operated secondary treatment can provide a high-quality effluent with reduced suspended solids, phosphate and metals which can create operational challenges at downstream advanced water purification facility (AWPF).
In summary, how a robust secondary treatment along with performance requirements make DPR possible and case study examples will be presented to demonstrate how secondary process performance affects & defines AWPF design, performance & operation in a DPR train. It will provide an unmatched value for public and regulatory agencies to explore how secondary treatment that makes DPR projects more robust and resilient.
Learning Objectives:
To understand capabilities and limitations of ozone and BAC for chemical control in DPR projects
To understand role and superior benefits of activated sludge based secondary treatment in DPR
To understand how we can configure secondary treatment to make DPR projects more robust and resilient"Zeynep Erdal
Integrated Solutions Director
Black & Veatch
Zeynep leadsintegrated solutions for Black & Veatch’s water business. She specializesin One Water solutions that integrate resource recovery and resiliency. Zeynephas more than 25 years of hands-on experience in business development andimplementation of a wide range of integrated infrastructure solutions. Thisincludes water reclamation, resource recovery, water recycling and advancedtechnologies, organics-to-energy systems, energy efficiency, renewable energy,waste solids treatment and handling, and greenhouse gases. She also hasexperience in regulatory and policy issues and sustainable solutions metricsand implementation through process development, piloting, modelling and design.
Ufuk G. Erdal, PhD, P.E.
Global Water Reuse Practice and Solutions Director
Black and Veatch
Ufuk Erdal has previously been vice president and served as the water reuse national practice and technology director in AECOM. He is registered professional engineer with more than 25 years of diverse experience in planning, pilot testing, preliminary and final design and commissioning of advanced treatment facilities used in water reuse applications.
Registrants who view the live webinar to see the slides and hear the audio and then enter the correct attention check code (directions below)1.0 contact hours towards CWEA's Contact Hours. AWT
To receive your contact hours for viewing the live webinar, please note the one (1) attention check code that will be displayed during the webinar in the top left or right corner of the presentation for approximately 90 seconds. Please enter this code in the Attention Check Code component under the "Contents" tab.
Please note, all user activity of CWEA certification holders on the Online Wastewater Education Network is subject to the CWEA Code of Ethics standards for professional conduct and ethics. Certification holders should receive credit for a training only once within the same contact hour period. Any attempt to undermine the certification process may be subject to ethics procedures and possible sanctions. It is not possible to receive contact hours for both attending the live webinar and viewing the recording.
Once you have entered the correct attendance check code, you will be able to create and download an electronic "Certificate of Completion" under the "Contents" tab.
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Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits Recorded On: 04/25/2025
AC25 Conference and Expo; Waves of Change, Navigating The Future Of Water. April 22-25| Palm Springs
CWEA Members: $35.00
Non-Members $45.00
CWEA Contact Hours: 1.0 contact hours towards CWEA Certifications: AWTPathogen control and monitoring in water reuse applications is critical to public health protection and gaining public trust. As more utilities and water agencies consider implementing water reuse programs, obtaining credit for log reduction values (LRV) achieved through secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment processes will be an important consideration. While many utilities exploring reuse options are currently focused on membrane processes to achieve additional virus log removal credits, questions remain regarding LRV achieved through various conventional treatment trains. In addition, while molecular assays exist for the detection of viruses, the majority of these methods provide no information on culturability or infectivity thus making extrapolation of end-user exposure risk and identification of suitable applications challenging. The objective of this study was to assess the removal of human infective viruses throughout the stages of wastewater treatment in a full-scale, tertiary municipal wastewater treatment plant in Canada.
The plant resells 20% of its secondary effluent to an industrial partner after additional treatment by membrane filtration and chlorination. The remaining 80% of the secondary effluent undergoes UV disinfection prior to release into the environment. The partnership between the plant and the industrial partner produces 15 million liters of high-quality water for processing each day, which are used in the refinery cooling tower, boiler and hydrogen plant. Virus concentrations and infectivity were analysed using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and integrated cell culture (ICC) to identify infective human viruses. Seven viruses including Norovirus (NoV), Rotavirus (RV), Sapovirus (SaV), Astrovirus (AsV), Adenovirus (AdV), Enterovirus (EV) and JC virus (JCV) were detected in 16 primary effluent samples in which infective viruses were present. Different treatment steps showed various efficiencies in infective virus removal, with membrane filtration exhibiting the highest at 4.6–7.0 log reductions.
The overall treatment virus LRV ranged from 1.1 (RV) to 2.8 (EV) for UV-treated final effluent and from 4.6 (EV) to 7.0 (AdV) when membrane filtration and chlorination were applied. The LRV for the six viruses (except for EV) by membrane filtration were significantly greater than that obtained by UV. EV had the highest inactivation by UV but the lowest by membrane filtration.
Learning Objectives:
After the presentation, participants will be able to articulate the benefits and limitations of different viral testing methods and the potential value that coliphage testing might add.
After the presentation, particpants will be able to compare the removal of viruses after various treatment steps.
After the presentation, particpants will have more data to highlight the value and potential virus log removal credits that can be achieved by ultrafiltration (6–7 LRV)."Rasha Maal-Bared, PhD (she/her/hers)
Principal Scientist
CDM Smith
Dr. Maal-Bared is the wastewater treatment specialist at EPCOR Water Canada. She completed her PhD in Environmental Microbiology at the University of British Columbia and her MSc degrees at the Harvard School of Public Health and Dalhousie University. She is the chair of the WEF Waterborne Infectious Disease Outbreak Control (WIDOC) subcommittee, which received the WEF 2020 Water Heroes award for their work on COVID-19. She also received the 2020 Empowering Women in Industry “Leadership in STEM/STEAM” award. When she’s not working, she enjoys playing Minecraft with her nine-year-old daughter.
Registrants who view the live webinar to see the slides and hear the audio and then enter the correct attention check code (directions below)1.0 contact hours towards CWEA's Contact Hours. AWT
To receive your contact hours for viewing the live webinar, please note the one (1) attention check code that will be displayed during the webinar in the top left or right corner of the presentation for approximately 90 seconds. Please enter this code in the Attention Check Code component under the "Contents" tab.
Please note, all user activity of CWEA certification holders on the Online Wastewater Education Network is subject to the CWEA Code of Ethics standards for professional conduct and ethics. Certification holders should receive credit for a training only once within the same contact hour period. Any attempt to undermine the certification process may be subject to ethics procedures and possible sanctions. It is not possible to receive contact hours for both attending the live webinar and viewing the recording.
Once you have entered the correct attendance check code, you will be able to create and download an electronic "Certificate of Completion" under the "Contents" tab.
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Contains 3 Component(s) Recorded On: 04/23/2025
AC25 Conference and Expo; Waves of Change, Navigating The Future Of Water. April 22-25| Palm Springs
CWEA Members: $35.00
Non-Members $45.00The aerobic granular sludge activated sludge process using batch reactors has received attention for the potential it offers to intensify activated sludge. Intensification allows WRRFs to improve effluent quality with a smaller footprint. Alternate technologies like hydrocyclones have become commercially available, which help to retain faster settling particles while the slower-settling particles are wasted out of the system. This type of technology can be more easily incorporated into plug flow reactors. At some plug flow facilities that have both hydrocyclones and unaerated high food-to-microorganism (F/M) selector zones, a relatively high fraction of the activated sludge can become granules producing a “densified sludge”.
In 2020, the City of Wichita installed a four-cyclone skid (180 gpm of return activated sludge [RAS]) on one of six nitrifying activated sludge trains at the Plant 2 WRRF (rated 54 million gallons per day [mgd]). The benefits to settleability through reductions in the sludge volume index (SVI) of the mixed liquor and improved water clarity in the test basin was observed. The SVI in the main basins averaged 120 mL/g compared to 91 mL/g in the hydrocyclone pilot basin. The City has started sampling E. coli in its secondary effluent prior to ultraviolet (UV) disinfection. Initial sampling has indicated about a 0.5-log reduction in E. coli counts in the hydrocyclone train compared to the non-cyclone trains.
Current biological nutrient removal (BNR) improvements project at the Plant 2 will incorporate a full-scale hydrocyclone system. This presentation will present the design criteria and layout of the new hydrocyclone facility and BNR facilities, a 5-stage Bardenpho process with high F/M selector zones and 19 cyclones for sludge wasting. Design considerations for the ancillary support facilities will also be presented, including a cyclone feed sludge (RAS) pumping, discharge of the cyclone underflow into the selector zones of the BNR process, and overflow as waste activated sludge (WAS).
With many utilities in California facing addition of nutrient limits in their discharge permit, the approach provided in this presentation will help these utilities save capital dollars on their improvement projects.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participants will have a good understanding of densified sludge and the benefits it provides for wastewater plant operations.
Upon completion, participants will learn the key elements to consider when designing a full-scale hydrocyclone based system to provide densification in a plug flow reactor.
Upon completion, participants will learn about the latest research associated with hydrocylones, which indicates that they can potentially reduce disinfection dose at WRRFs, in addition to process benefits .Samir S. Mathur
Senior Vice President and Water Reclamation Practice Leader
CDM Smith
Samir Mathur, PE, BCEE is Senior Vice President in CDM Smith’s Dallas Office. He has a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from India and a Masters Degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. He has worked at CDM Smith for over 31 years, and is currently serving as the Practice Leader for Water Reclamation at CDM Smith. He is involved in numerous wastewater process design, nutrient removal, and reuse related projects throughout the country. He served as the Project Technical Leader for the BNR improvements for the City of Wichita's Plant 2 WWTP BNR Improvements project, which is the subject of his presentation.
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Contains 3 Component(s) Recorded On: 04/23/2025
AC25 Conference and Expo; Waves of Change, Navigating The Future Of Water. April 22-25| Palm Springs
CWEA Members: $35.00
Non-Members $45.00Presentation Description: The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts and Carollo Engineers, Inc. have participated in a Department of Energy project called “Transforming Aeration Energy in Resource Recovery Facilities through Suboxic Nitrogen Removal.” The project seeks to operate the activated sludge process at dissolved oxygen (DO) levels that are significantly below 1.0 mg/L while maintaining nitrification. The aeration process in a water recovery facility (WRF) typically consumes approximately 50% of the total energy of the plant. This project aims to reduce that energy consumption from 1500 to below 650 Kwh/MGD . This project involved pilot work as well as conducting full-scale modifications at the Pomona WRF to accommodate low DO operation.
The Pomona WRRF was built about 50 years ago and has not had any significant controls modifications since then. This may be typical of many WRF's in California. This presentation will cover in detail the significant modifications that were made to the facility and the costs. The old single speed centrifugal process air compressors were replaced with turboblowers. The old aeration control had one valve which controlled numerous aeration zones. New valves and flowmeters were installed to allow individual aeration zone control. A third-party control system was installed to allow precise DO control as well as ammonia-based aeration control. A solids retention time control system was also provided. To facilitate these control systems additional instrumentation, including sensors for ammonia, nitrate, DO, TSS, and sludge blankets, were installed. Details on the installation and maintenance of these sensors will be discussed.
The project team will also discuss the approach to reducing the DO while maintaining compliance. Results of low DO activated sludge transition will be presented. This project is due to be completed at the end of September 2024. Pomona WRF is currently operating an average daily DO of 0.85 mg/L. There is some disagreement about how low DO activated sludge works. It may be different organisms doing the nitrification or the existing population adapting to the low DO. The presentation will provide batch kinetic and nitrification test results as well as microbial analysis to try to provide an answer to that question.Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, the participant will be able to understand the equipment and controls required to perform low DO operation.
Upon completion, the participant will be able to formulate a plan to transition a facility to low DO operation.
Upon completion, the participant will be able to understand the costs and benefits associated with low DO operation."Larry Wong
Project Engineer
Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts
Civil Engineer in the Wastewater Research group at Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts
B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of California Berkeley.
M.S in Civil Environmental Engineering from the University of California Los Angeles
18 years of professional experience in the public sectorPatricia S. Hsia
Civil Engineer
Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts
Patricia Hsia has been with the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts for 5 years and is currently in their Wastewater Research Section. Her undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering is from Cal Poly Pomona, and her Civil and Environmental Engineering Master’s is from UCLA.
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Contains 3 Component(s) Recorded On: 04/23/2025
AC25 Conference and Expo; Waves of Change, Navigating The Future Of Water. April 22-25| Palm Springs
CWEA Members: $35.00
Non-Members $45.00Adaptive planning serves as a valuable means to conceptualize and create designs for water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) that accommodate various stages of growth, even those that are yet unknown. By offering flexible and high-performing technology options, intensification can assist in adaptive planning and effectively address the multiple challenges that WRRFs encounter today. This presentation will highlight the adaptable planning approach and intensification strategies implemented in the secondary treatment system design for the Town of Windsor Water District (Town) to:
• decarbonize their biological nutrient removal (BNR) system in line with net zero sustainability goals
• plan for uncertain growth in a space constrained site
• meet stringent nutrient limits, both nitrogen and phosphorusThe Town’s WRRF has a limit for effluent total nitrogen and phosphorus in their NPDES permit (set at 10.5 mg-N/L and below detection limit respectively). While the WRF has been consistently meeting their permit, these stringent limitations have become constricting when considering Town’s ability to meet growth requirements. Current average influent TSS and ammonia loadings have already exceeded the WRRF’s design capacity. In addition, the Town will be consolidating with an adjacent sanitation district whose growth comes with a substantial degree of uncertainty.
The Town conducted a nutrient removal study and conceptual design in 2020, and is now implementing the detailed design of the secondary treatment system. A roadmap will be presented of the adaptive planning design for this system, which considers multiple growth scenarios for each of the Town’s influent sources.
A variety of intensification options were considered in the design, including aerobic granular sludge (AGS), primary filters and hydrocyclones. Membrane aerated bioreactors (MABR) were ultimately selected for their modular nature, low footprint, and low energy requirement, which perfectly aligns with the Town’s drivers above. The roadmap will illustrate how intensification strategies such as MABR can facilitate adaptive planning by providing phased growth design options that don’t necessarily mean expansion at each step. This part of the presentation will also include an audience driven discussion about how intensification strategies can more broadly be tailored to specific drivers, just as it was in Town’s adaptive design.
Learning Objectives:
View a roadmap of how adaptive planning can be used for phased design under uncertain and unexpected growth for WRRF’s with a multitude of drivers
Understand an example of how a specific intensification option can facilitate adaptive phased design and help tailor the design to a specific client’s needs
Describe how a variety of intensification options can meet various drivers for WRRFs including but not limited to: meeting permits, decarbonizing, address site specific challenges such as space constraints, etc.Leah Pifer (she/her/hers)
Process Engineer
Black & Veatch
Garrett Broughton
Senior Civil Engineer
Town of Windsor
Garrett Broughton is a Senior Civil Engineer in the Town of Windsor's Public Works Department. He has been employed there since 2014 and works on Water, Wastewater, Recycled Water, and Drainage Projects.
His is a Registered Civil Engineer with the State of CaliforniaDave Ernst
Wastewater Treatment Syperintendent
Wastewater Treatment Syperintendent
David Ernst has worked at all levels of wastewater collection and treatment at various agencies throughout Sonoma and Marin counties. With more than 25 years of wastewater experience, David Ernst has served on several large wastewater infrastructure improvement projects in many different roles, and is currently the Chief Plant Operator / Wastewater Superintendent for the Town of Windsor.
Jesse W. Wallin (he/him/his)
Project Manager
Black & Veatch
Jesse Wallin is a Project Manager with Black & Veatch and is a registered Civil Engineer in the state of California. Jesse has a passion for wastewater treatment related infrastructure improvements and has worked predominantly on wastewater related planning, design, and construction projects throughout his 18 year career. His focus has primarily been on solids handling and nutrient removal projects within operating facilities and has a passion for working through the challenges of minimizing plant disruptions during construction.
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Contains 3 Component(s) Recorded On: 04/23/2025
AC25 Conference and Expo; Waves of Change, Navigating The Future Of Water. April 22-25| Palm Springs
CWEA Members: $35.00
Non-Members $45.00San Francisco Bay Area wastewater utilities are facing nutrient discharge regulations that impact near-term and long-term decision making. The City of Sunnyvale Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) balanced aging infrastructure needs with future nutrient to develop a phased approach for upgrading their treatment plant to remove nutrients.
The existing treatment facilities at the WPCP are aging assets and cannot meet anticipated future discharge regulations for nitrogen. The City decided to be an early adopter in nutrient reduction and to implement a two-phased secondary treatment upgrade to transition to a conventional activated sludge (CAS) BNR process. Carollo/Jacobs recently completed the design for the $300M Secondary Treatment and Dewatering Project. The construction of the Phase 1 secondary treatment facility and Demon deammonification sidestream treatment facility is in progress. The CAS facilities will operate in parallel with the existing oxidation pond treatment train and the Demon sidestream facility will treat return stream from a new dewatering process.
Dealing with aging infrastructure and a tight site, this phased approach allows the City lots of flexibility. Delaying the second phase of the project allows the City to:
• Defer costs and maintain financial flexibility
• Allow process intensification technology to mature
• Maximize site space and right size phase 2
This presentation will provide an overview of the project and review key factors that influenced the decision to implement split flow and sidestream treatment, and explore elements of the design that were implemented to successfully manage the split flow operation and flexibility for future expansion.
This presentation may be of interest to design engineers, decision makers, planners, or others charged with navigating future regulations and developing strategies to optimize performance and nutrient load management. The City of Sunnyvale is on their way towards implementing their Program that began in 2016. Key decisions on implementing split flow and optimizing the Phase 1 Secondary Treatment and Dewatering Project design have maintained flexibility for the City for what comes next.
Learning Objectives:
Understand how a phased approach to a process upgrade can delay capital investment and increase future flexibility.
Identify creative solutions that address multiple drivers such as aging infrastructure and new regulations.
Describe the benefits of planning ahead.Jamie Pigott (he/him/his)
Design Manager
Carollo Engineers
Jamie is a Design Manager and process mechanical engineer at Carollo Engineers. He has helped SF Bay Area agencies for the last 10 years plan, design, and construct nutrient removal projects under traditional and progressive design build delivery methods. He is currently supporting the construction of Sunnyvale's $278 million Secondary Treatment and Dewatering Project and leading the design efforts to deliver the first Aqua Nereda AGS installation in the state of California.
Michael Frederick, P.E.
Senior Engineer
City of Sunnyvale
Michelle is the Water Partnership Coordinator for the State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, and works out of the Monterey district office. Michelle graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology with a Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering. Michelle has 19 years of State regulatory experience plus 5 additional years of experience working in environmental consulting and in the Peace Corps. Michelle's experience and current work in California's water system consolidation program is a key asset to the new Wastewater Consolidation Program
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Contains 3 Component(s) Recorded On: 04/23/2025
AC25 Conference and Expo; Waves of Change, Navigating The Future Of Water. April 22-25| Palm Springs
CWEA Members: $35.00
Non-Members $45.00This presentation explores the optimization of new solids handling facilities and the creation of marketable biosolids products, drawing insights from two major utilities: Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) and JEA.
HRSD’s Atlantic Treatment Plant (ATP) transitioned from Class B to Class A biosolids production by commissioning a Cambi thermal hydrolysis process (THP) skid in mid-2020. This transition resulted in increased solids capacity and improved final dewatering performance. The presentation will delve into the startup and optimization process, highlighting lessons learned and how these upgrades have prepared HRSD to adapt to future regulatory changes.
Initial startup required ATP to disinfect digesters and all associated piping. The first digester was filled with heated disinfected non-potable water and seed from DC Water’s digesters. The approach to ramping up thermally hydrolyzed sludge feed started at 50% of DC Water’s loading rate and increased over several weeks.
Using existing dewatering centrifuges, the final dewatering cake solids improved from 14-16% total solids (TS) to 30% TS after THP implementation and optimization. Curing pilots using the 30% cake and a windrow turner determined the most efficient method for producing a low-odor, aerobically cured product. Lessons from 2023 pilot studies have been applied to full-scale curing operations initiated in early 2024.JEA, one of Florida’s largest utilities, has proactively planned for the future of their biosolids program. In 2017, JEA’s master plan recommended decommissioning the old thermal drying system and outsourcing Class B dewatered cake processing to a third-party. However, this dependence led to uncertainties in costs and regulatory compliance.
In 2020, JEA revised their strategy, recommending a new regional biosolids handling facility at the Buckman Water Reclamation Facility (BWRF). This facility, designed to handle solids from all 12 JEA-owned water reclamation facilities, includes advanced thickening and dewatering equipment, two large thermal drum drying systems, and infrastructure for high-quality pellet production. These upgrades provide JEA with the flexibility to pivot as regulatory drivers change and new market opportunities arise.
The presentation will discuss innovative strategies employed by JEA, including a pilot of an in-line high-shear dynamic mixer to re-wet dewatered cake solids, reducing transportation costs and capital expenses.
Learning Objectives:
Describe the startup and optimization process of thermal hydrolysis and its impact on biosolids capacity and quality.
Explain approaches to evaluating and upgrading biosolids handling facilities, focusing on infrastructure, process reliability, and market development.
Identify key lessons learned in the production and market development for biosolids products.Dana Gonzalez
Principal Technologist
Carollo Engineers
Dana Gonzalez is a Principal Technologist at Carollo Engineers, specializing in wastewater innovation, biosolids management, resource recovery, and PFAS mitigation. Her experience in both utility and consulting roles provides a broad perspective on water sector challenges. Dana holds a bachelor’s degree from UCLA, a master’s from Virginia Tech, and a PhD from the University of Virginia. She is a registered Professional Engineer in Virginia.
Sudhanva Paranjape (he/him/his)
Vice President
Carollo Engineers Inc.
Sudhan Paranjape has 30 years of experience in the planning and design of water, wastewater and reuse facilities with special focus on biosolids handling facilities. Sudhan has a Bachelor of Civil Engineering and Master of Engineering degree from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA. He works in the Orlando office of Carollo Engineers Inc.
Peter Blackley
W/WW/RT Operations Coordinator
JEA
Peter has 35 years in the water/wastewater industry in operations and management. The past 15 years have been as operations coordinator for JEA located in Jacksonville Florida, managing the entirety of their biosolids operation, a 62.0 DTPD anaerobic digestion and pelletizing facility.
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Contains 3 Component(s) Recorded On: 04/23/2025
AC25 Conference and Expo; Waves of Change, Navigating The Future Of Water. April 22-25| Palm Springs
CWEA Members: $35.00
Non-Members $45.00
Encina Wastewater Authority's plan for resilient resource recovery at the Encina Water Pollution Control Facility will be presented. The plan focusses on having a reliable energy supply to treat wastewater and recover biosolids and energy for beneficial use. Having adequate anaerobic digestion capacity and enhancing its performance for more biogas is an integral part of the plan. Converting solids to biogas decreases the amount of biosolids sent to the dryer and reduces its energy demand. Using biogas to fuel combined heat and power (CHP) units and/or producing renewable natural gas (RNG) while complying with increasingly stringent air permit regulations will be discussed. Ultra-low emissions CHP units being considered include non-combustion fuel cells and flameless-combustion linear generators. The microbial hydrolysis process (MHP) using the hyper-thermophilic bacteria caldicellulosiruptor bescii will enhance the anaerobic digestion project to convert cellulose into biogas. Recuperative thickening will increase the capacity of the existing digesters by increasing the solids retention time (SRT). The reduction in solids concentration in the digesters because of the increased volatile solids reduction (VSR) from the addition of the MHP will balance the increase in solids concentration from the operation of recuperative thickening. The resulting solids concentration will be low enough to enable effective mixing with the existing digester mixing system. The enhanced anaerobic digestion system will produce more biogas and less biosolids. Producing more biogas and fueling ultra-low emission CHP units will contribute to energy resiliency by decreasing the dependence on utility supplied natural gas and electricity.Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participants will be able to list the components in a resilient water resource recovery facility.
Upon completion, participants will be able to describe how anaerobic digestion is an integral part of resilient resource recovery.
Upon completion, participants will be able to define the microbial hydrolysis process and explain how it enhances anaerobic digestion.David L. Parry (he/him/his)
Senior Fellow
Jacobs
Dr. David L. Parry has 45 years of experience and a global reputation for providing sustainable solutions to recover resources from wastewater. He is currently serving or has served as technical director on major water resource recovery projects around the world.
Dr Parry specialized in anaerobic digestion and the beneficial use of biosolids and biogas. He is the inventor of methods to enhance anaerobic digestion with the microbial hydrolysis process to convert cellulose into biogas. He was a pioneer in the early development of co-digestion, biogas-fueled combined heat and power, CO2 removal for production of renewable natural gas, and the use of heat pumps for effluent heat recovery.
Dave Parry earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from BYU and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a registered mechanical and civil engineer in several states and provinces. He is vice president and senior fellow at Jacobs.Scott McClelland
General Manager
Encina Wastewater Authority
Scott McClelland joined the Encina Wastewater Authority Team in 2016 and has served as the General Manager since 2021. Scott provides executive oversight to the 77 staff at the Encina Wastewater Authority with a $56 Million annual budget. Scott has over 30 years of experience in the water and wastewater sector and has served in public utilities since 2003. Previously Scott has managed the operations and maintenance of three water treatment plants, laboratories, environmental compliance, and distribution systems. Prior to his public utility experience Scott worked for nine years as a design engineer for a multinational Civil Engineering design firm designing water, wastewater and water reuse treatment facilities. Scott holds a Master of Business Administration, a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering, and a Grade 5 Operator’s License, is a Registered Professional Engineer (Civil) and a Board Certified Environmental Engineer for the American Academy of Environmental Engineers in Water and Wastewater Treatment.
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Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits Recorded On: 04/23/2025
AC25 Conference and Expo; Waves of Change, Navigating The Future Of Water. April 22-25| Palm Springs
CWEA Members: $35.00
Non-Members $45.00
CWEA Contact Hours: 1.0 contact hours towards CWEA Certifications: ECIThis presentation will discuss the diversion of organics, such as food waste and the co-digestion of these wastes with anaerobic digestion which generated biogas, a beneficial byproduct. Doing so allows reduction in landfill volumes and stabilization of the waste suitable for land application. The stabilization process, when accomplished with anaerobic digestion, generates biogas, a beneficial byproduct.
The presentation will include an overview of industry trends, including regional trends in State of California for organics diversion requirements. Other industry drivers that will be covered will include greenhouse gas emissions reductions, state and federal financial incentives, and drivers for renewable energy production.
When organic waste is diverted to a wastewater treatment facility, the organics can be co-mingled with municipally generated sludge in anaerobic digestion (i.e., co-digestion). This allows for existing infrastructure to be utilized for both wastewater treatment and landfill diversion while generating a biosolids product and digester gas. The produced biogas can be utilized as a fuel source for a process heating boiler or in a combined heat and power system or renewable natural gas.
Finally, the presentation will include case study overviews of two functioning wastewater treatment facilities with anaerobic digestion, both which are receiving significant quantities of organic wastes to generate biogas from co-digestion. One facility is utilizing biogas produced in a combined heat & power (CHP) for use at the facility and has achieved net zero operations beginning in 2022. The second facility facility has a very large high strength waste program with over 19,000 loads received annually. The biogas from this facility is processing the biogas into renewable natural gas (RNG) for pipeline injection which generates over $6M annually.
Learning Objectives:
1. Gain understanding of the industry drivers for organics diversion and resource recovery programs.
2. Learn about two functioning full-scale wastewater treatment facilities with anaerobic digestion, both which are receiving significant quantities of organic wastes to generate biogas from co-digestion.
3. Define the concept the organics diversion, such as food waste and the co-digestion of these wastes with anaerobic digestion which generated biogas and potential value of this renewable fuel."Dustin Craig, PE (he/him/his)
Environmental Engineer
CDM Smith
Mr. Craig is an environmental engineer experienced with the design of wastewater infrastructure with an emphasis in solids handling processes and bioenergy utilization processes. His experience includes performing wastewater treatment biological process calculations, biogas energy utilization studies, and design, and wastewater thickening and dewatering improvements, and biosolids master planning. Mr. Craig has extensive experience in the study, design, and construction of solids handling improvements including sludge pumping, primary and secondary sludge thickening, sludge dewatering and cake conveyance improvements, and anaerobic digestion facility improvements.
Ryan M. Sellman (he/him/his)
Vice President
Carollo Engineers
Ryan Sellman is a Vice President and Project Manager for Carollo Engineers. He has been with Carollo for 18 years, working in wastewater and infrastructure projects in California. Ryan also serves as the office manager for Carollo’s Fresno office. Ryan has worked on planning, design, and construction in wastewater.
Registrants who view the live webinar to see the slides and hear the audio and then enter the correct attention check code (directions below)1.0 contact hours towards CWEA's Contact Hours. ECI
To receive your contact hours for viewing the live webinar, please note the one (1) attention check code that will be displayed during the webinar in the top left or right corner of the presentation for approximately 90 seconds. Please enter this code in the Attention Check Code component under the "Contents" tab.
Please note, all user activity of CWEA certification holders on the Online Wastewater Education Network is subject to the CWEA Code of Ethics standards for professional conduct and ethics. Certification holders should receive credit for a training only once within the same contact hour period. Any attempt to undermine the certification process may be subject to ethics procedures and possible sanctions. It is not possible to receive contact hours for both attending the live webinar and viewing the recording.
Once you have entered the correct attendance check code, you will be able to create and download an electronic "Certificate of Completion" under the "Contents" tab.
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- Non-member - $45
- Member - $35
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