blue plains advanced

wastewater treatment plant

A resource recovery facility. Transforming wastewater into clean water and energy.

dcwater.com
 Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facts at a Glance: Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant

DC Water’s Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant is the largest plant of its kind
in the world, averaging 384 million treated gallons per day and over one billion gallons per
facilities managed by, and service areas served by, dc water day at peak flow.

384 million gallons. Enough to fill RFK Stadium daily.

While larger plants employ primary and secondary treatment, and stop there,
Blue Plains provides advanced treatment – nitrification and denitrification, multimedia
filtration and chlorination/dechlorination.

The plant opened as a primary treatment facility in 1937 and added processes, technology
and capacity in subsequent years. The facility continues to expand with new environmental
and sustainable energy projects, using all of its 153 acre footprint.

Facts:

• Service area covers more than 725 square miles.

• Treats used water for the entire District of Columbia. In addition, provides treatment for
more than 1.6 million people in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland
and Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Virginia.

• Capacity to treat an average of 384 million gallons per day (mgd).

• Peak wet weather capacity to treat more than one billion gallons per day.

welcome inside :
• DC Water uses both contracted and on-site laboratories to analyze samples to ensure it
is meeting federal, state and local regulatory requirements. The in-house lab conducts
1 FACTS AT A GLANCE more than 100,000 tests a year.

2 EVOLUTION OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT • In 2015, DC Water started anaerobic digestion, converting over half the organic matter
from the water treatment process to methane to generate electricity to help power
3 THE COST OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP operations at Blue Plains. The remaining half of the solids are processed into
Class A biosolids. DC Water’s Class A biosolids can be applied to gardens and farms
as a soil amendment.
4-7 THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROCESS

8-9 NEXT GENERATION PROJECTS

1
 Evolution of Wastewater Treatment The Cost of Environmental Stewardship

DIFFERENTIAL COST PER POUND The cost of innovation and stewardship is significant. For example,
OF TOTAL NITROGEN REMOVED the Blue Plains discharge permit issued by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has three times required

Differential cost per additional lb

$51.49 per lb
$50.00 the Authority to dramatically reduce the level of nitrogen in its treated
water. This has been achieved through technological and engineering
$40.00
projects. As the nitrogen limits are further reduced, the price increases
$30.00 exponentially. The recently completed enhanced nitrogen removal
$20.00 project cost close to $1 billion and is at the limit of technology.
$10.00
$0.84 per lb
$3.69 per lb DC Water joined the Chesapeake Bay Agreement and was the
0 first in the watershed to meet its voluntary program goals for
14.0 mg/L 7.5 mg/L 5.0 mg/L
to 7.5 mg/L to 5.0 mg/L to 3.9 mg/L nutrient removal of 40 percent of the 1985 levels, or 7.5 milligrams
Nitrogen concentration achieved per liter (mg/L), two years ahead of schedule. With the recent
completion of enhanced nutrient removal facilities, the plant meets
its nitrogen goals under the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement. The plant
already meets its phosphorus goals, as phosphorus is captured in
primary and secondary treatment and stored in biosolids which are land
applied, recycling this valuable nutrient back to the land. DC Water
continues to meet or exceed performance levels set by the U.S. EPA.

Customers bear the bulk of the costs of these environmental

protections. DC Water has received limited federal funding for
environmental projects under construction at Blue Plains, but their
2011 NITROGEN LOADS TO THE BAY ultimate cost is nearly $4 billion.
BY JURISDICTION mil lbs/yr
Before 1937, wastewater flowed through the District
46% PA It is important to note that even if nitrogen levels at Blue Plains were
in open sewers and discharged untreated to the
reduced to zero, local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay would still
nearest waterway. Before sewers, disposal methods 25% VA
be impaired by other sources of nitrogen. Blue Plains contributes less
were even more primitive, contributing to epidemics
20% MD than two percent of the estimated nitrogen load to the Chesapeake
of cholera and dysentery that caused a high death
Bay. Although Blue Plains is the largest single point-source discharger of
rate. Sewage conveyance and treatment, and the 4% NY
nitrogen, the vast majority of the nitrogen in the Bay is from non-point
sanitation they brought to the District, were heralded
2% WV sources like agriculture.
for public health, quality of life and economic
benefits. Blue Plains’ treatment provided the first 2% DE It is imperative that other sources of nitrogen, including agricultural,
barrier to protect the environment from wastewater
1% DC
and urban and suburban runoff, are addressed to improve the health
generated by those living or working in the region.
of local waters. States in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are formulating
watershed implementation plans to do just that, but many are finding
Local waterways suffered from the population growth of the District and upstream suburbs. Urban and
2011 NITROGEN LOADS TO THE BAY the solutions to be cost-prohibitive.
suburban runoff, agricultural runoff and wastewater degraded the health of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers,
BY SOURCE mil lbs/yr
Rock Creek and the Chesapeake Bay. The Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant remains the best
State-of-the-Art Technology and Innovative Research
protection for our waterways, as it cleanses the wastewater generated by more than two million people, every 40% agriculture
As part of the nearly $1 billion plant-wide upgrades in the 2000s, the
minute of every day. The plant serves as a barrier to the receiving waters, minimizing the environmental impact
Authority streamlined operations by automating many processes and
of the things we do in our daily lives—not only using the toilet, but washing our clothes, cars, dishes, food,
built a state-of-the-art operations center, where performance of the
bodies and teeth. It is an essential service for the region. 25% atmospheric deposition
entire plant can be monitored.
Environmental protection is an ongoing commitment. The engineers at DC Water continually examine
Blue Plains is world-renowned for its research programs that analyze
wastewater technology and facilities to remain on the cutting edge and to implement innovative solutions. 17% wastewater treatment plants technologies years before they are put into practice. DC Water’s
DC Water has massive environmental wastewater programs underway, totaling nearly $4 billion. We are
Blue Plains less than 2% engineering team is recognized for innovation, exploring technologies
committed to improving the health of local waterways and generating sustainable energy from the
that have not been adopted in the United States. In fact, delegations
wastewater treatment process.
15% urban / suburban runoff of international wastewater engineers visit Blue Plains regularly to learn
more about DC Water’s management, engineering, finance, research
and technology.
3% septic

2 3
 The Wastewater Treatment Process

Screening and grit removal It is a delicate environment that Multimedia filtration Biosolids end use
Wastewater comes to Blue Plains requires diligent monitoring to and disinfection The biosolids at DC Water
through 1,800 miles of sewers ensure the health of the microbial The treated plant flow is filtered generate combined heat and power.
from around the District and from colonies. Once they have done through sand and anthracite in the The digesters capture methane and
the Potomac Interceptor, a large their duty, the bugs are settled out world’s largest wastewater filtration burn it in a turbine, providing net
sewer that begins at Dulles Airport, from the wastewater in secondary facility. The flow is disinfected 10 Megawatts (MW) of electricity
bringing with it wastewater from the sedimentation tanks. A portion of with sodium hypochlorite-based and steam to heat the process.
Maryland and Virginia suburbs along the settled microbes are then chlorination at the filter influent, and
the way. re-introduced to secondary reactors the residual chlorine is removed The Class A biosolids product is
to sustain the process, with the before discharge with sodium loaded onto trucks and hauled to
The sewage is pumped up from remainder recycled with the biosolids. bisulfite. The final plant effluent farmlands, forests and reclamation
below ground for treatment at the after processing looks the same as projects as well as to local soil
plant. A series of screens removes Many wastewater treatment plants drinking water. blenders. The biosolids are land-
objects and large particles. The grit stop treatment here. But Blue applied, recycling the carbon
chamber removes rocks and other Plains discharges to the Potomac, and nutrients—nitrogen and
Solids thickening, dewatering
non-degradable particles. These a tributary to the Chesapeake phosphorus—back to the soil.
In the treatment processes, solids
are loaded into trucks and taken to Bay, and nitrogen must be further Because the biosolids meet Class A
are removed from process tanks. In
a landfill. The wastewater then flows removed to protect the watershed. standards, they can be used in both
the primary clarifiers, these solids are
to the next stage of treatment. rural and urban settings.
sent to screening and grit removal,
and then sent to gravity thickeners
Primary clarifiers Nitrification, denitrification, filtration for thickening. Secondary or final
Primary treatment is a physical and disinfection establish Blue Plains effluent is used for dilution water for
process that takes place in a cone- as an advanced wastewater the gravity thickening process.
shaped tank. Solid particles settle treatment facility.
out and fall to the bottom, while the Solids that come from the secondary
wastewater flows outward, over a set Nitrification and nitrification processes are sent
of weirs. An arm skims the fats, oils The first step of advanced treatment to dissolved air flotation tanks where
and grease (FOG) off the top while is oxidizing the nitrogen from a process using supersaturated air is
the solids settle to the bottom. This ammonia to nitrate. This is achieved able to float the solids to the surface.
FOG is sent to landfills, while the through another biological process
solids are treated for reuse. using microbes in the nitrification This secondary solids are skimmed
reactors with a large amount of air. off the surface and combined
with the gravity thickened solids
Secondary reactors and in a blend tank. Blended solids
sedimentation Denitrification are screened, dewatered to 18
Secondary treatment is a biological The second step to nitrogen removal percent solids, and sent through a
process that uses microbes to requires converting the nitrate to thermal hydrolysis process. Thermal
treat organic material (fats, sugars, nitrogen gas, which releases the hydrolysis uses high heat and
short-chain carbon molecules). At nitrogen safely into the atmosphere. pressure to (1) eliminate pathogens
Blue Plains, activated sludge is the This step does not add oxygen, and (2) prepare the “food” for
process used to achieve secondary which causes the microbes to hungry archaea and bacteria
treatment. consume the oxygen in nitrates. microbes in the digesters.
The process is achieved in the same
For the process to be most effective, type of tanks as nitrification, but The digesters produce methane and
the microbes need both oxygen and the nitrification section is aerated Class A biosolids. The biosolids are
food. Blue Plains supplies the oxygen (aerobic), while the denitrification then further dewatered through a
by pumping air into the tanks with section is not aerated (anoxic). The belt filter press.
bubble diffusers. The wastewater microbes require a carbon source
contains the food (organic matter, as food. Methanol is added in this
or carbon). The microbes consume process as the carbon source.
this food and grow more microbes.
The added oxygen causes the
wastewater in secondary reactors to
have a bubbling, active appearance
and the microbes cause a reddish-
brown color.

4 5
 The Wastewater Treatment Process

source

influent influent aerated primary secondary secondary nitrification nitrification / denitrification

screens pumping grit chamber sedimentation tanks reactors sedimentation tanks denitrification reactors sedimentation tanks

air air air mixing

enhanced
nutrient
landfill removal

gravity sludge dissolved air

thickening flotation thickening

filter
influent
pumps

nutrients and carbon recycling multimedia

filters
GROWTH GROWTH thermal
farming
BEFORE AFTER

silviculture BIOSOLIDS BIOSOLIDS

hydrolysis up to
20 YEARS 9 YEARS power
13 mw

Increases yield BIOSOLIDS

APPLIED AT Under construction: disinfectant
and improves THIS TIME
Provides carbon and nutrients steam Clean Rivers Project- tanks
understory. valued at $300.00 per acre. – see page 9 for details

anaerobic
reclamation community gardens digestion

gas chp
turbines dechlorination

Restores mines to their natural Provides nutrients for vegetables,

state and providing wildlife habitats. fruits and herbs.

urban restoration
soil blending class a

land applications biosolids

Creates compost to grow plants

and reduce runoff.

6 7
 Next Generation Projects

Enhanced Nutrient Removal Thermal Hydrolysis and Anaerobic Digestion As in many older
The enhanced nutrient removal project reduced the DC Water was the first utility in North America to use cities, about one-
level of nitrogen from the cleansed wastewater that thermal hydrolysis for wastewater treatment. It is the third of the District
DC Water discharges to the Potomac River. Nitrogen largest thermal hydrolysis plant in the world. Though has a combined
can act as a fertilizer in the Potomac River and thermal hydrolysis has been employed in Europe, the sewer system,
Chesapeake Bay, creating unruly grasses that deplete water sector in North America has been slow to adopt meaning one CSO 049:
Rock Creek Manage volume
oxygen needed by marine life to live and thrive. this technology. Industry leaders across the continent pipe carries both equal to 1.2” of rain
eagerly await the results for the potential of using this wastewater and falling on 365 impervious
acres
With the $950 million project complete, Blue Plains technology. storm runoff. A Piney Branch
will produce effluent with some of the lowest levels combined-sewer overflow (CSO) occurs during Stream

of nitrogen in the country. At 4 mg/L, it is extremely The process pressure-cooks the solids left over after heavy rain when the mixture of sewage and
low, and is considered near the limit of conventional wastewater treatment to produce combined heat stormwater cannot fit in the sewer pipes and Potomac
River
treatment technology. The facilities include more than and power—generating a net 10 MW of electricity. overflows to the nearest water body. CSOs
CSOs
40 million gallons of additional anoxic reactor capacity DC Water is the largest single source consumer direct about two billion gallons of combined 027, 028, 029:
for nitrogen removal, new post-aeration facilities, an of electricity in the District, and the digesters cut sewage into the Anacostia and Potomac rivers Manage volume equal
to 1.2” of rain falling on
890 mgd lift station, new channels and conveyance consumption up to a third. The process also creates and Rock Creek in an average year. CSOs 133 impervious acres Anacostia
River
structures, and new facilities to store and feed a Class A biosolids that has many more reuse options contain bacteria and trash that can be harmful CSOs 025, 026:
Separate sewers
methanol and alternative carbon sources. as a soil amendment than the former Class B product. to the environment.
CSOs 020–024:
The solids product is a smaller volume, and even when Control using
Potomac tunnel
land-applied, will reduce hauling and emissions, further DC Water has already reduced CSOs to
reducing the plant’s carbon footprint. the Anacostia River by 40 percent with
improvements to the existing sewer system.
To achieve a 98 percent reduction, the Clean
How much energy is 10 MW? Rivers Project will create massive underground
That’s enough to power 8,000 homes. tunnels to store the combined sewage during Blue Plains Advanced
rain events, releasing it to Blue Plains after the Wastewater Treatment Plant

storms subside.

The first and largest tunnel system will Rock Creek and Potomac River Tunnel
(30 million gallons via gravity)
serve the Anacostia River. This tunnel will be Potomac drainage areas

Rock Creek and Potomac drainage areas with Green

23 feet in diameter and will run more than Infrastructure and targeted sewer separation
Anacostia River Tunnel System
(157 million gallons)
100 feet deep, along the Potomac and under Drainage areas with CSO outfalls
the Anacostia. sewer separation (associated with proposed plan)

The tunnel segments south of RFK Stadium,

together with their surface hydraulic facilities
and a tunnel dewatering pump station,
are scheduled to begin operating in 2018,
providing relief to the Anacostia River first.

For the Potomac River and Rock Creek,

DC Water is incorporating green infrastructure
(GI) —trees, tree boxes, rain barrels, porous
pavers, rain gardens, etc.— to control enough
runoff that one previously planned tunnel was
eliminated and the other reduced in size. A GI
solution provides the District with green jobs,
enhanced natural habitats, higher property
values, reduced heat island effect and
cleaner waterways.

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 dcwater.com

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