Roberto R. Bustamante Wastewater Treatment Plant (RRBWWTP) Optimization and Expansion
El Paso Water (EPW) identified capacity restrictions at the RRBWWTP limiting design capacity below the rated 39 mgd. Hazen was retained to validate the existing process capacity and identify alternatives to recover capacity back to the permitted 39 mgd. In addition, the flows to the facility exceed 75% of the permitted capacity, triggering planning for expansion. This project includes developing treatment alternatives for plant expansion to 51 mgd.
Project Outcomes and Benefits
- Due to the current capacity limitations, the conceptual design had to be completed in 8 months.
- Major tasks in the project scope include condition and remaining useful life assessment, establishing the existing capacity of all unit processes including hydraulic capacity, and developing and calibrating BioWin process models and clarifier CFD models.
- Condition assessment resulted in a 4 mgd reliable capacity gain in the existing trains by leveraging existing assets, reducing the capital expense for plant expansion by approximately $40M.
Brandt Miller serves as the Operations Manager for Hazen’s Dallas office and as the wastewater practice lead for Texas and the surrounding states.
Related Solutions:
This facility will eventually include an advanced treatment process to meet drinking water standards for direct potable reuse. Therefore, one goal of the optimization and expansion project is to economically meet the effluent quality desired to feed the advanced plant, which is more stringent than the effluent discharge permit.
The evaluation phase of the project is currently underway with process model calibration and primary and secondary clarifier computational fluid dynamic models. In addition, existing solids handling processes will be evaluated with an attempt to increase the consistency of cake quality. Conceptual design will be completed for the selected alternative and design will proceed with the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) alternative delivery mechanism to expedite the schedule.
By leveraging existing assets to gain 4 mgd in reliable capacity within existing structures, the capital expense for plant expansion was reduced by approximately $40M.
