MONROE - The Monroe Wastewater Treatment Plant is in the final stage of a $28 million renovation that's been five years in the making.
The project began in 2010 with the initial planning and design phase. The project has seen some road blocks and slow-downs, and it may be one of the city's most expensive projects, according to City Administrator Phil Rath.He said the project's final cost will land at about $28 million, funded by user fees, state grants and a Department of Natural Resources loan.
The initial cost before the renovation was estimated at around $25 million, Rath said. But the scope of the project ended up being bigger than anticipated, and there were unexpected price changes, including fuel costs.
Rath said the wastewater plant renovation was needed because of frequent equipment failure and the age of infrastructure.
"We didn't have enough capacity to hold (the waste)," he said.
A yearly report for the DNR highlighted some of the concerns that needed to be addressed, Rath said.
"We did not have a direct order to fix (the problems)," he said.
The renovation is important to Monroe, public works director Colin Simpson said, because the plant needs to keep up with the growing economic opportunities in the city.
"We want to be prepared," he said, for potential economic development that may add more waste.
Furthermore, Simpson said, renovations will help keep operating costs down. A new turbine, for example, will produce some of the plant's electricity. It runs on methane produced from waste that will later be used as agricultural fertilizer.
"We wanted to have an efficient plant that ran the best way possible," he said.
Originally built in the 1930s, the plant hasn't seen a major renovation since 1986, Simpson said.
"This was about the right time," he added.
Simpson said a major push to renovate the plant came from changes in federal and state regulations, a need to meet the current and updated DNR requirements and a desire to keep energy bills down.
The renovated plant will include a new administration building for lab testing and sampling, a headwork's building which keeps the waste contained, and a pumping station. The aeration basins, where wastewater goes to be cleaned by bacteria, were upgraded to meet the anticipated demands for a bigger wastewater plant, he said.
The new basins will also help clean out any phosphorus in the water - a big problem nationally because it can create algae blooms and harm wildlife, Simpson said.
The new plant also included turning operations digital instead of manual, he added. The move to a digital system, called SCADA, allows staff to identify problems, such as equipment malfunctioning, faster and easier. All staff members can access the plant's operation via a computer or smartphone.
While the project stayed on time, issues regarding the equipment failures and legal troubles arose.
According to Simpson, Madison-area engineering firm AECOM did not deliver what was promised.
Simpson said the blueprint AECOM produced did not match what was actually being done; there were misplaced pipes and confusion over the layouts.
The new gas turbines, which were put in to reduce the plant's monthly energy bills, were not generating the amount of electricity promised by AECOM, he added.
Currently, the city and the plant are working with a third-party engineering firm, McMann,to make sure everything is in place and working.
"The new engineering firm is double checking everything for us," he said.
The city and the plant are also working with an attorney, seeking a monetary reward from AECOM, Simpson said.Another issue has been frequent malfunctions of the new equipment, particularly the heating system to keep the bacteria warm in the cooler months.
In order for waste to be properly removed from the water, bacteria is released to "eat away" any unwanted matter, Simpson said. For the bacteria to live, the temperature must be between the upper 90s to just over 100 degrees. The equipment would peak in the low 80s degrees, Simpson added.
"It wasn't working quite as well as we hoped," he said. The plant will look for ways to address the issue before the winter months.
The final stage includes restoring landscaping back to its pre-construction status and making sure all equipment is fully operational - which could take another 12 months. Currently, the plant is being operated by some new equipment as well as equipment loaned to the plant by the AECOM and McMann, Simpson said.
"We're doing everything we can by the winter months," he said.
The project began in 2010 with the initial planning and design phase. The project has seen some road blocks and slow-downs, and it may be one of the city's most expensive projects, according to City Administrator Phil Rath.He said the project's final cost will land at about $28 million, funded by user fees, state grants and a Department of Natural Resources loan.
The initial cost before the renovation was estimated at around $25 million, Rath said. But the scope of the project ended up being bigger than anticipated, and there were unexpected price changes, including fuel costs.
Rath said the wastewater plant renovation was needed because of frequent equipment failure and the age of infrastructure.
"We didn't have enough capacity to hold (the waste)," he said.
A yearly report for the DNR highlighted some of the concerns that needed to be addressed, Rath said.
"We did not have a direct order to fix (the problems)," he said.
The renovation is important to Monroe, public works director Colin Simpson said, because the plant needs to keep up with the growing economic opportunities in the city.
"We want to be prepared," he said, for potential economic development that may add more waste.
Furthermore, Simpson said, renovations will help keep operating costs down. A new turbine, for example, will produce some of the plant's electricity. It runs on methane produced from waste that will later be used as agricultural fertilizer.
"We wanted to have an efficient plant that ran the best way possible," he said.
Originally built in the 1930s, the plant hasn't seen a major renovation since 1986, Simpson said.
"This was about the right time," he added.
Simpson said a major push to renovate the plant came from changes in federal and state regulations, a need to meet the current and updated DNR requirements and a desire to keep energy bills down.
The renovated plant will include a new administration building for lab testing and sampling, a headwork's building which keeps the waste contained, and a pumping station. The aeration basins, where wastewater goes to be cleaned by bacteria, were upgraded to meet the anticipated demands for a bigger wastewater plant, he said.
The new basins will also help clean out any phosphorus in the water - a big problem nationally because it can create algae blooms and harm wildlife, Simpson said.
The new plant also included turning operations digital instead of manual, he added. The move to a digital system, called SCADA, allows staff to identify problems, such as equipment malfunctioning, faster and easier. All staff members can access the plant's operation via a computer or smartphone.
While the project stayed on time, issues regarding the equipment failures and legal troubles arose.
According to Simpson, Madison-area engineering firm AECOM did not deliver what was promised.
Simpson said the blueprint AECOM produced did not match what was actually being done; there were misplaced pipes and confusion over the layouts.
The new gas turbines, which were put in to reduce the plant's monthly energy bills, were not generating the amount of electricity promised by AECOM, he added.
Currently, the city and the plant are working with a third-party engineering firm, McMann,to make sure everything is in place and working.
"The new engineering firm is double checking everything for us," he said.
The city and the plant are also working with an attorney, seeking a monetary reward from AECOM, Simpson said.Another issue has been frequent malfunctions of the new equipment, particularly the heating system to keep the bacteria warm in the cooler months.
In order for waste to be properly removed from the water, bacteria is released to "eat away" any unwanted matter, Simpson said. For the bacteria to live, the temperature must be between the upper 90s to just over 100 degrees. The equipment would peak in the low 80s degrees, Simpson added.
"It wasn't working quite as well as we hoped," he said. The plant will look for ways to address the issue before the winter months.
The final stage includes restoring landscaping back to its pre-construction status and making sure all equipment is fully operational - which could take another 12 months. Currently, the plant is being operated by some new equipment as well as equipment loaned to the plant by the AECOM and McMann, Simpson said.
"We're doing everything we can by the winter months," he said.