Regional San Receives WERF's Award for Excellence in Innovation

The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) honored Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (Regional San) with its Award for Excellence in Innovation for its use of WERF research as the utility evaluated new technologies in establishing its advanced wastewater treatment pilot plant. The award was presented at WEFTEC in New Orleans during the celebration of WERF’s 25th anniversary.

The WERF Award for Excellence in Innovation recognizes organizations that have made improvements to wastewater and stormwater collection, storage or treatment operations, facilities or processes by applying WERF research.

Newly-mandated wastewater treatment standards meant that Regional San would have to begin planning and implementing new treatment processes beginning in 2013, with significant changes completed by 2021.

Regional San worked with Brown and Caldwell to build an advanced wastewater treatment pilot (ATTP) plant to evaluate new technologies. Regional San opted for a design, build, own and operate approach to speed up construction and controlling costs.

The ATTP facility tested a variety of treatment technologies, ruling out those with higher life-cycle costs and pinpointing effective solutions that would improve Regional San’s effluent. The pilot also helped ensure the right sizing of facilities, offering the best value for Regional San’s ratepayers and reserving space for future processes if new regulations emerge. The pilot project allowed Regional San to save approximately $150 million in permit-required upgrades—a savings that will be passed on to ratepayers.

Source: The Water Development Research Foundation