# Presentation: 918491

## Wastewater Management in Albuquerque

- J. Steven Glass
- City of Albuquerque

## Wastewater Objectives

- Protect Public Health
- Prevent exposure to disease-causing microbes
- Prevent chemical contamination of drinking water
- Protect Aquatic Environment
- Prevent overgrowth of algae from release of nutrient chemicals  Oxygen depletion
- Prevent release of toxic chemicals to streams

## Wastewater Laws and Regulations

## Wastewater Law

- The NM Water Quality Act
- History
- Adopted 1967 (NMSA Chapter 74 Article 6)
- Last revised 2001
- Provisions
- Created the NM Water Quality Control Commission
- Required WQCC Regulations to issue discharge permits and certify EPA-issued permits
- Established operator certification requirements

## Wastewater Law

- The Clean Water Act (33 USC 1251 et seq.)
- History
- Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972
- Amended in 1977, reauthorized in 1987
- Provisions
- Authorizes US Environmental Protection Agency to set quality standards for discharges to navigable water of the US
- Provides funding for treatment plant construction
- Permits citizen suits against polluters

## Wastewater Regulations

- National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
- 40 CFR Part 121
- Requires dischargers to obtain permit from EPA (or delegated state agency)
- Provides civil and criminal penalties

## Wastewater Regulations

- National Industrial Pretreatment Program
- 40 CFR Part 141
- Requires municipal wastewater authorities to issue and enforce permits to industrial dischargers
- Establishes monitoring and reporting requirements

## Wastewater Regulations

- Sewage Sludge Regulations
- 40 CFR Part 503
- Sets limits on sludge quality (chemical, biological)
- Establishes monitoring and reporting requirements
- Defines management practice requirements
- 40 CFR Part 501
- Sets guidelines for state sludge regulatory programs

## Wastewater Regulations

- Methods for Analyzing Pollutants
- 40 CFR Part 136
- Establishes laboratory procedures for monitoring water and wastewater quality
- Defines procedure for developing alternative methods

## Albuquerque Wastewater

## Albuquerque Wastewater

- Albuquerque Wastewater Production
- 56 million gallons per day
- 85% residential, 15% industrial/commercial
- 5th largest tributary to the Rio Grande in NM
- ~100 gallons per day per person
- ~50% of potable water delivered is returned
- Remainder is used for irrigation, cooling, car washing

## Albuquerque Wastewater

- Raw Wastewater Quality
- Organic/solid contaminants ~350 mg/L (0.035%)
- Toxic metals/organics ~5 mg/L (0.0005%)
- Pure water ~99.965%
- Incoming pollutant mass: ~80 tons/day
- Pollutant removal efficiency: 98%

## Albuquerque NPDES Permit

- Current permit issued in 1994 for 5 years
- Limits dependent on:
- Treatment plant upgrade project (completed 1997)
- Flow in the Rio Grande
- Protection of downstream users (Isleta Pueblo)
- Guaranteed Flow Agreement
- Contract with MRGCD, ended 12/2001
- Ensures dilution during non-irrigation season

## Albuquerque NPDES Limits

## Wastewater Treatment

## The Albuquerque Process

- Settling & Aeration

- Fermentation

- Rio Grande

- Sewers

- CO2

- N2

- CH4

- Microbes

- Composting

- CO2

- H2O

- NH3+

- H2O+C+N+S

- O2

- Humus

- Heat

- Power

- H2S

- CO2

- HOCl-

- SO2

- (Biosolids)

## SWRP Liquid Process Train

**Aeration**

**Sedimentation**

**Sedimentation**

**Solids Handling**

- Norg  NH3+

- NH3+  NO2

- NO2  N2

**Mixing**

- C6H14  Biomass + CO2

## SWRP Effluent Recycling

**Southside Water **

**Reclamation Plant**

**For turf **

**irrigation**

**Additional Treatment**

**Southside Water **

**Reclamation Plant**

**To Rio Grande**

## SWRP Reuse Project Details

- Current
- 0.8 MG/day
- Sand filter
- On-site uses
- Future
- 5.6 MG/day
- Tertiary process
- Off-site distribution

## SWRP Solids Handling

- CH4 + CO2

- C6H14 + H2O

**Anaerobic Fermentation (30 days)**

- Aeration Blowers

- 2.2 MW

**Disposal or Reuse *****(150 t/day)***

- Diesel Generators

**Biosolids**

- Centrifuges

## Biosolids Disposition

- Dual-Natured Material
- Rich source of nitrogen, organic matter, trace nutrients
- Concentrated waste, may contain disease-causing microbes
- Management Challenge
- Capture beneficial attributes
- Prevent threat to public health & environment

## Biosolids Disposition

- Surface Disposal [1980]
- High-rate land application, with tilling to cover
- Inexpensive, but salt prevents range grass growth
- Public access control necessary
- Composting for Reuse [1992]
- Dry, carbonaceous matter added (straw, chips)
- Microbial heat kills disease organisms
- Expensive, but yields offsetting revenue ($12/ton)

## Biosolids Disposition

- Range Land Restoration [2001]
- Low-rate land application, no tilling
- Solar heat and drying kill disease organisms
- Research since 1985 with USFS shows
- Runoff eliminated
- Increased grass and forage production
- Suppressed growth of noxious weeds
- Public/private partnership with Albuquerque cattle owner and Open Space started 10/01/01