PROJECT TITLE: Wastewater Treatment Plant Optimization Pilot Program (Mechanical and Pond) I. PROJECT STATEMENT Effective wastewater treatment systems are critical infrastructure to manage waste effluent within hundreds of communities throughout Minnesota. Optimization, in general, means getting better results through existing infrastructure. This proposal will fund two projects to determine how mechanical and pond wastewater treatment systems can be optimized, and the new effluent limits met, without adding substantial new infrastructure. Infrastructure improvements should be the last resort when new, or more restrictive effluent limitations are required to meet water quality standards. The goal is to optimize existing wastewater treatment processes to improve nutrient (phosphorus and nitrogen) removal. The primary purpose of wastewater treatment is to protect the environment from contamination and preserve water sources for residential, industrial and recreational use as well as minimizing impact on wildlife and aquatic species. Cities throughout the state are responsible for providing effective, affordable wastewater treatment services for residents and businesses within their communities. Effective operation of wastewater services is vital to preserve the environment, maintain public health, and support regional economic development. To ensure communities manage their environmental impact, wastewater effluent discharged to Minnesota waterways are subject to federal and state regulation. These regulations continue to become more stringent over time as treatment demands increase and as negative environmental impacts to receiving waters are better understood. This proposal would add a new option for municipalities - wastewater facility optimization - that may help many communities meet new pollutant limits without requiring expensive new infrastructure. This will result in lower costs for communities and cleaner water for all Minnesotans. II. PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND OUTCOMES The two projects in this proposal have different means and outcomes, due to the differences between mechanical treatment systems and pond systems. Mechanical Project: The first activity will be a seminar to inform municipal mechanical wastewater operators and administrative officials about the concept of mechanical plant optimization and how it has worked in other situations. From the pool of seminar attendees, three to four pilot facilities will be selected. These pilot facilities will enter into an agreement under which program partners, namely wastewater operators from the Met Council's and City of St. Cloud's wastewater systems, will act as mentors for pilot cities undertaking optimization. Mentors will provide technical assistance such as: evaluating each pilot plant's treatment processes, making adjustments through process control, training and mentoring operators, and increasing or decreasing wastewater detention time. Data from various trials will be recorded and compiled into a Field Guide to share broadly with all mechanical wastewater treatment facilities across the state. Pond Project: Optimization in pond systems is by definition more labor intensive, due to complex biological processes occurring within ponds and because most pond system operators have multiple jobs within the government of a small city. This proposal would provide "one on one" optimization tailored to each facility, so that municipalities can operate pond systems ongoing with low-level labor input. Optimization will entail detailed analysis of a given pond system, followed by developing and establishing an ongoing protocol to achieve maximum pollution reduction in pond system effluent. This work will be provide by subcontract with Minnesota Rural Water Association and will include enhanced coagulation and flocculation, discharge window optimization, while collecting and analyzing datasets that compiled into a report. The University of Minnesota's Technical Assistance Program (MN TAP) program will analyze these datasets, detail trends and reach conclusions about the datasets. Finally, this proposal sets the table for future research on denitrification in wastewater pond systems, to define the biological processes by which nitrogen is removed from pond water and evaporates into the air. Anammox and ammonia volatilization, as well as biological indicators in ponds are also worthy areas of study that will lead to better pond performance. While sufficient time to develop and plan this study is not available at this time, we fully believe the activities outlined here will facilitate the next phase of understanding the microbiology of denitrification within these ponds. This will be published and made available to the public. The outcomes of these projects will be: * Increased nutrient removal and improved operational efficiencies at mechanical and pond wastewater treatment plants, * Ability of at least some cities to comply with new water quality standards without needing expensive new construction, * Cost savings to cities and to the state, as the useful life of optimized wastewater systems is extended. * This project will allow MNTAP, Minnesota Rural Waters, MCES, City of St. Cloud and the MPCA to collaboratively work together to help rural communities save money and resources to assure that wastewater effluent limitations are met and maintained. * This project will establish mentoring relationships that will foster learning and the exchange of knowledge for years to come. Activity 1: Mechanical Plants: Instruction and Selection phase Advertise for and conduct a seminar on what WWTP Optimization is, and why it may be a viable alternative to infrastructure improvements to meet nutrient effluent limitations. Select three to five candidate-WWTP from seminar attendees to participate in pilot program. Budget: $ 3,584 Outcome Completion Date 1. Provide a seminar to transfer knowledge from experts to interested parties about optimization. The seminar will include asset management tool demonstration. 12/1/2018 2. Identify 3-5 pilot municipalities 12/1/2018 Activity 2: Mechanical Plants: Technical assistance phase Budget: $197,050 Once the pool of participants from WWTP optimization seminar have been identified, they will need to enter into a memorandum of understanding that offers the program partners indemnification and clearly defines what is expected of each party. Technical assistance will commence with a site visit to the participating WWTP to understand the plants process, existing components, and general capability of both the facility and the operator. Additional instruction will likely occur at program partner facilities. Outcome Completion Date 1. MOU will be signed engaging the facility in pilot program. Expectations of each party are clearly understood, program partners are indemnified 12/01/2018 2. Mentors provide site evaluation and technical assistance to participating pilot operators. 12/30/2018 3. Contract and project administration 06/30/2020 Activity 3: Mechanical Plants - Data analysis and conclusions by MN TAP Outcome Completion Date 1. Evaluation of optimization activities at pilot plants (by MN TAP grad student as supervised by MN TAP engineer) 12/30/19 2. Knowledge sharing via publication of findings and recommendations. 06/30/20 Activity 4: Pond Plants - Seminar Outcome Completion Date 1. Provide a seminar to transfer knowledge on pond system optimization. Seminar to include also demonstration of Rural Water Association's asset management tool. 06/30/20 Activity 5: Pond Plants: Technical assistance delivery by Rural Water Association engineering consultant Budget: $77,406 Completion Date:06/30/20 Budget: $ 4,000 Completion Date: 12/30/2018 Budget: $433,825 Outcome Completion Date 1. Through intensive evaluation and engineering technical assistance, create and install optimization protocols at participating municipal pond wastewater treatment systems. Technical assistance will also include asset management training and emergency preparedness training. 06/30/20 2. Compile and analyze data from the above optimization processes, and publish a Field Guide of optimization practices and processes to be shared broadly with other facilities across the state 06/30/20 3. Contract and project administration by MPCA 6/30/20 Activity 6: Pond Plants - Data analysis and conclusions at MN TAP Budget: $ 63,193 Outcome Completion Date 1. Analyze datasets from pond optimization trials and draw conclusions (by grad student supervised by MN TAP engineer) 06/30/20 2. Publish findings for technology transfer 06/30/20 Total Budget: $ 779,058 III. PROJECT STRATEGY A. Project Team/Partners Partners: MPCA will partner with the Met Council and the City of St. Cloud for mentorship of municipal mechanical wastewater treatment plants. MPCA will partner with the Minnesota Rural Water Association for design and installation of optimization for municipal pond wastewater treatment systesm. These partners have experience in both types of treatment systems. Results will be compiled, analyzed and published in Field Guides by the MN TAP program. B. Project Impact and Long-Term Strategy The long-term strategy is to understand how plant optimization activities and techniques work in an upper Midwestern climate. The pilot program will inform future decisions about funding technical assistance programs that can be more cost effective than funding infrastructure projects to meet new effluent limitations. Optimization also will provide for maximum pollution removal, which will result in cleaner water in Minnesota. C. Timeline Requirements This project requires a 3-year timeline to both demonstrate and install WWTP optimization activities in both pond and mechanical systems. Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) 2018 Main Proposal Project Title: Wastewater Treatment Plant Optimization Pilot Program