MONROE - Four months and $4 million into the project, the city's $24.8 million wastewater treatment plant upgrades project is on schedule, according to Director of Utilities Alan Eckstein.
Part of the work so far has been readying the facility structures for "balloons" and "more bugs," as Eckstein affectionately calls them.
Excavations were nearly complete and new structures were about half completed, Eckstein said Wednesday, Aug. 14.
A 400-ton crane was brought in that day, as crews were getting ready to lift the top off a digester on Thursday. The cover was to be removed in one piece, set aside and cut apart for disposal.
More bugs, or microorganisms, will increase the facility's capacity to clean sewage.
The balloons - flexible, expandable gas storage covers for the bugs' home, the digesters - will decrease the facility's energy use and qualify it for Focus on Energy grants, Eckstein said.
The ballooning tops will capture gases, mostly methane and hydrosulfide released by the microorganisms' digestion process. The gas mixture will be cleaned to remove the hydrosulfide.
The remaining methane will be burned in micro-turbines to create heat that will be piped back to warm the digesters. The micro-turbines are scheduled to be installed in 2014.
"It will reheat the digester to 95 to 97 degrees for the bugs to work efficiently," Eckstein said.
The process will average up to 195 kilowatts per hour, 24 hours per day, seven days a week. But there will be peaks and valleys in the production, so natural gas will be used to even out the supply. Eckstein said the facility uses about 250,000kw per month.
Two massive aeration basins were displaying part of their reinforced rods and concrete walls yet last week. They will hold more microorganisms than the current tanks and increase the city facility's capacity to treat more sewage water.
The current three aeration tanks peak out during heavy loads, Eckstein said, and excess waste water is sometimes held in reserve ponds, so as not to over load the system. The height of these tanks will be extended during the project, to increase their capacity also.
Excavations for the project haven't been without surprises.
The foundation for one of two new clarifying tanks was nearly complete Friday, but a pipe running along the site was not where it was supposed to be - about 20 feet off the mark. And an air pipe to the present aerators was a mere six inches below ground level instead of the expected 14 feet as shown on old maps. Fortunately, excavation crews were alert and did not damage the pipes.
Monroe Common Council approved the contract with the general contracting firm, Miron Construction Company, Inc. of Neenah, in March. AECOM in Middleton has been the engineering and manager of the project.
Part of the work so far has been readying the facility structures for "balloons" and "more bugs," as Eckstein affectionately calls them.
Excavations were nearly complete and new structures were about half completed, Eckstein said Wednesday, Aug. 14.
A 400-ton crane was brought in that day, as crews were getting ready to lift the top off a digester on Thursday. The cover was to be removed in one piece, set aside and cut apart for disposal.
More bugs, or microorganisms, will increase the facility's capacity to clean sewage.
The balloons - flexible, expandable gas storage covers for the bugs' home, the digesters - will decrease the facility's energy use and qualify it for Focus on Energy grants, Eckstein said.
The ballooning tops will capture gases, mostly methane and hydrosulfide released by the microorganisms' digestion process. The gas mixture will be cleaned to remove the hydrosulfide.
The remaining methane will be burned in micro-turbines to create heat that will be piped back to warm the digesters. The micro-turbines are scheduled to be installed in 2014.
"It will reheat the digester to 95 to 97 degrees for the bugs to work efficiently," Eckstein said.
The process will average up to 195 kilowatts per hour, 24 hours per day, seven days a week. But there will be peaks and valleys in the production, so natural gas will be used to even out the supply. Eckstein said the facility uses about 250,000kw per month.
Two massive aeration basins were displaying part of their reinforced rods and concrete walls yet last week. They will hold more microorganisms than the current tanks and increase the city facility's capacity to treat more sewage water.
The current three aeration tanks peak out during heavy loads, Eckstein said, and excess waste water is sometimes held in reserve ponds, so as not to over load the system. The height of these tanks will be extended during the project, to increase their capacity also.
Excavations for the project haven't been without surprises.
The foundation for one of two new clarifying tanks was nearly complete Friday, but a pipe running along the site was not where it was supposed to be - about 20 feet off the mark. And an air pipe to the present aerators was a mere six inches below ground level instead of the expected 14 feet as shown on old maps. Fortunately, excavation crews were alert and did not damage the pipes.
Monroe Common Council approved the contract with the general contracting firm, Miron Construction Company, Inc. of Neenah, in March. AECOM in Middleton has been the engineering and manager of the project.