Donohue & Associates and the City of Eau Claire received a 2017 Engineering Excellence Best of State Award for the “Eau Claire Wastewater Treatment Facility: Resilient. Robust. Sustainable.” project from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Wisconsin.

A major upgrade to the City of Eau Claire’s Wastewater Treatment Facility focused on resilient, robust, and sustainable solutions to meet current and future needs. Through innovative application of reliable and proven processes, the upgrade has resulted in a significant improvement in treatment levels and effluent quality. The upgrade included:

• Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) Activated Sludge System
• Headworks and Solids Handling Complex Odor Control
• Sludge Handling and Digestion Improvements
• New Controls System
• Building Code Compliance

Highlights include a BNR activated sludge system that minimizes chemical requirements by 80%, saving $225,000 annually. Energy optimization and the efficient conversion of biogas to electricity is saving $40,000 per year in natural gas, and a new control system allows remote monitoring of key plant and collection system facilities, saving over $300,000 annually. Pollutant removals to protect the Chippewa River are significant and routinely exceed 98%.

A key challenge was maintaining all aspects of plant performance and effluent permit compliance throughout construction of this complex project. This challenge was met with a collaborative spirit and the project was completed on time, with minimal change orders, and 9% under budget, saving the City approximately $4M.