In 2012, ADS installed aeration equipment in a 40-year old, 6.9 million-gallon stabilization lagoon in the town of Elk River, Idaho, home to 125 residents. The Elk River project is one of ADS’ favorite wastewater treatment installations, according to ADS President, John Hinde.
Elk River’s wastewater treatment facility consists of mostly domestic waste which flows from the city to a pretreatment plant, then flows into lagoons 1 and 2, and finally discharges into Elk Creek. Elk Creek then discharges in the Elk Creek Reservoir that lies about a half-mile southeast of the town of Elk River and supports a robust tourism industry for the surrounding areas and the small community in Elk River.
Before ADS installation in 2012, the Elk River wastewater treatment facility was experiencing significant Environmental Protection Agency violations for exceeding the 30 mg/l limit for Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS). Furthermore, the average annual temperature in Elk River is 43 degrees Fahrenheit but often dips below freezing. Consequently, lagoons 1 and 2 were prone to freezing during the winter months from January to May, effectively stalling any circulation the lagoons might have experienced prior to the installation of ADS aeration equipment.
ADS was contacted by Elk River's retained engineer, John Karpenko, as a potential supplier to meet the wastewater treatment needs of this small community without significant expense.
On October 25, 2012, lagoons 1 and 2 were converted to ADS aeration with 10 LTC disk modules and a 5 HP oil-less air compressor, 2,100 feet of ¾ inch self-sink feeder tubing, and 300 feet of 3 inch HDPE header pipe.
At 4.5 feet water depth and 50,000 gallons per day of discharge throughout the months of January to June, the wastewater lagoons now provide enough oxygen and retention time to reduce BOD and TSS prior to discharging intothe Elk River.
Since the installation of ADS equipment, Elk River’s wastewater treatment lagoons are now capable of meeting TSS and BOD discharge limits year-round. Due to constant circulation and oxygenation of the lagoons, there are no longer strong odors emanating from them nor do the lagoons freeze over in the winter.
For more information, please contact Air Diffusion Systems at [email protected] or call 847-782-0044.
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