Water Reclamation Plant Project

The Water Reclamation Plant is undergoing significant upgrades to ensure that a State-required, more stringent phosphorus load allocation can be met in the future and to address equipment reaching the end of its useful life. The current process consists of treating 75% of the flow with the High Purity Oxygen (HPO) Plant (which includes the Cryogenic Oxygen Plant) and the remainder with the Aeration Basin Complex (ABC) using the Anaerobic/Oxic (A/O) configuration. The project will consist of converting the HPO plant to the same A/O configuration as the ABC Plant to provide a single treatment plant to lower operation and maintenance costs. Converting to the A/O configuration for treatment also provides the ability to remove phosphorus biologically rather than being dependent on increasingly expensive chemicals. Biological phosphorus also allows the facility to meet the more stringent permit limit. Several other facility improvements to address aging equipment and create operating efficiencies will be completed as part of this project. Some of these improvements include additional basin volume, new pumping and mixing systems, repurpose blower complexes, aeration diffusers, effluent treated wastewater reuse systems, conversion of abandoned tankage, thickening equipment, odor control systems, innovative wastewater heat recovery systems and upgrades to existing ventilation and electrical systems.

• Economics: Pragmatic approach, reduced operational costs, lowest life cycle costs
• People: Clean design, decreased maintenance
• Environment: Reduce energy, reduce chemicals, meet permit regulations

The project is currently under construction while the treatment facility remains fully operational. A small portion of work is taking place outdoors and is visible from 37th Street NW. Most of the construction is happening indoors at the facility or inside tanks that are currently offline.

• The project is paid for by Rochester Sewer Enterprise Fund user fees, state loans and state grants.
• Construction Cost - $92 million
• Engineering Cost - $5 million
• Point Source Implementation Grant (PSIG) - $7 million (funded via State Legislature)
• Green Project Reserve Grant - $1 million
• State of Minnesota Public Facilities Authority (PFA) Loan - $70 million

 www.rochestermn.gov/wastewater