Carmel

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• Carmel
• Wastewater
• Utility

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Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Plant process breakdown
• Contact information

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Introduction

• Carmels Wastewater Utility is dedicated to the
  collection and treatment of Carmels, some from
  Clay Regional Waste District, and some of
  Westfields wastewater. Through a series of
  advanced wastewater treatment process, Carmel
  Wastewater Treatment Plant maintains an excellent
  reputation as a highly efficient and reliable
  treatment facility. This presentation follows the
  treatment process form beginning to end,
  providing insight to anyone who ever wondered
  where their wastewater went and how it was
  treated.

• City of Carmel currently operates a 12 million
  gallon per day Class IV conventional-activated
  sludge-type plant
• This plant operates 365 days a year.
• There are currently 25 employees at the plant and
  8 in the sewer collections department.
• Named best in class by the Environmental
  Protection Agency.
• Has received numerous Laboratory Excellence
  Awards
• Had the Nations first BioPasteur system for
  Class A biosolids.

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Process Overview

• The wastewater treatment process can be broken
  down into a few simple key points

• Influent
• Physical Treatment
• Biological Treatment
• Effluent
• Sludge Treatment

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Influent

• The influent of wastewater is measured by the
  utilization of a Parshall Flume
• A Parshall Flume doesnt affect the flow rate,
  even when under high levels of water submergence
• The construction design prevents this by tapering
  outward then sloping downward.

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Physical Treatment

• One of the major steps in wastewater treatment is
  the filtration of solids from the water
• Rotary Screen Operates by having an influx of
  wastewater fed into it internally, with water and
  smaller solids passing through the rotating
  cylinder. Larger solids are retained within the
  cylinder, with the rotation causing the solids to
  move axially along the cylinder to an eventual
  end point, where it is shredded and compacted for
  proper disposal.
• Step Screen A simple yet effective piece of
  filtration machinery. A step screen moves in an
  escalator-like fashion through a flowing channel
  of wastewater. The screen traps large solids and
  are transported out of the channel via the
  strep-like motion to be properly disposed of.

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Physical Treatment

• Rotary Screen

Step Screen
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Physical Treatment

• Grit Removal Tanks

The treatment facility is equipped with three
grit removal tanks. Their responsibility is to
allow for the settling of heavy solids that
passed through the screens. Particular solids
include sand, coffee grinds, egg shells, bone
chips, etc. By allowing these abrasive solids to
settle, the wear and tear on treatment equipment
is greatly reduced.
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Physical Treatment
Water from the grit removal tanks passes through
these clarifiers. The clarifiers are equipped
with devices that remove floatables and settled
materials from the water. Floatable materials are
pushed to one end of the tank and settled
materials are moved to the other. Both are
collected and sent to a holding tank for primary
sludge where it is later treated and cured.

• Primary Clarifier

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Biological Treatment

• Aeration Tanks

After the water has been physically treated by
the primary clarifiers, it is sent to one of ten
aeration tanks for biological treatment. By
maintaining a delicate balance between the levels
of oxygen, food and microorganisms the volatile
organics from the water is removed by oxidizing
them.
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Physical Treatment

• Secondary Clarifiers

The suspended matter from the aeration tanks is
sent to the secondary clarifiers. Fed
microorganisms and additional solids that may not
have been dissolved are allowed to settle at the
bottom of these tanks. The tanks possess a
collection mechanism that removes the settled
material.
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Effluent

• UV Disinfection

Water is sent through two parallel channels
separated by a concrete median. Within each of
these channels are brackets containing UV lamps.
These lamps disinfect the wastewater by
destroying the genetic makeup of dangerous
microorganisms, eliminating them and the threat
of reproduction. This process is favorable as it
avoids chemical disinfection with chlorine, which
in itself has many adverse byproducts.
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Effluent

• Effluent Flow Meter

Measures the daily outfall from the treatment
facility.
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Sludge Treatment
One of the byproducts of wastewater treatment is
the accumulation of sludge. The Carmel Wastewater
Treatment Plant has several processes to collect
and treat this byproduct, ultimately turning it
into a useable end product called biosolids. The
Carmel facility was the first in the Nation to
have the BioPasteur system as the means of
producing their Class A biosolids.
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Sludge Treatment

• Gravity Belt Thickener

Volume reduction is an extremely important aspect
in wastewater treatment. Gravity belt thickeners
reduce the volume of thin sludge. The sludge is
thickened with the addition of polymers and the
remaining water escapes through gravity as the
sludge drains through special belts.
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Sludge Treatment

• BioPasteur System

The BioPasteur System was created to improve
Carmels handling of solids in wastewater
treatment and it became the nations first of its
kind. By utilizing a series of cylindrical
vertical tanks, sludge is stored, then heated to
165 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour to eliminate
the pathogens, then it is cooled to 95 degrees
where it is stabilized by normative means of
anaerobic digestion. The heat used to increase
the sludge temperature is recaptured and reused
as the separate tanks alternate responsibilities.
The sludge is then sent to the primary and
secondary digesters where the volatile
destruction of pathogens occur. Methane that is
produced in the anaerobic digesters is the source
of heat production which is re circulated via the
heat exchanger.
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Sludge Treatment

• BioPasteur System

Heat Exchanger
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Sludge Treatment

• Centrifuges

Centrifuges separate matters of different
densities. Sludge is sent to the centrifuges to
further the separation of water from the sludge.
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Sludge Treatment

• Filtrate/Centrate Tank

This tank collects Filtrate (water separated at
the gravity belt thickener) and Centrate (water
separated at the centrifuges) and stores it for
slow release recirculation back into the
facility. This prevents facility overload because
this material is very high in ammonia.
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Sludge Treatment

• Biosolids Storage Building

The end result of the sludge treatment processes
is sent to a storage building as a Class A
Biosolid. The material is about 22 solid and is
distributed to the public through the facilitys
marketing and distribution permit as a nutrient
rich soil amender
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Sludge Treatment

• Biosolids Solar Dryer

This building allows for the further
solidification of the biosolid material. The
building automatically regulates the climate to
best cater the process and an automatic mole
aerates the material. The solidity of the
material is brought up to approximately 64
solids by the end of the process
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Miscellaneous

• Air Scrubber

The Carmel Wastewater Treatment Plant has spent
over 400,000 for odor control. Outside air
enters this biological air scrubber, flows
through a series of air cleaning medias. What
exits is air with far less odor.
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Miscellaneous

• Laboratory

The Carmel Wastewater Treatment Plants
laboratory has been awarded the Laboratory
Excellence Award for numerous years. The main
objective of the lab is to conduct compliance
testing on certain parameters set by the Indiana
Department of Environmental Management and the
Environmental Protection Agency and to ensure the
plant is operated in accordance with its
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
Permit.
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Miscellaneous

• Tours

The Carmel Wastewater Treatment Plant conducts
plant tours for school groups and other various
groups or organizations to raise awareness of
pollution prevention and water conservation. If
you would be interested please contact us to
schedule a tour date and time. [phone]