Hosted by the Alabama/Mississippi Section of AWWA and Alabama’s Water Environment Association, the AL/MS Water Joint Annual Conference serves water professionals in Alabama and Mississippi through collaboration and education. Garver’s Water and Wastewater Team will be in attendance for technical sessions, exhibits, networking opportunities and more. Garver is proud to support the annual event through sponsorships and leadership positions, and are excited to continue that at this year’s event.
Being able to reach very low effluent nitrogen levels requires attention to all nitrogen species, including ammonium (NH4-N), nitrate (NO3-N), nitrite (NO2-N), particulate organic N (PON), and dissolved organic (DON). Together known as total nitrogen (TN), there are a number of different relationships, reactions and processes associated with biological nutrient removal (BNR). This talk will use examples to explain these relationships so operators and managers can be prepared for upcoming discussions of process capabilities, TN limits, and process modifications to maintain compliance.
PRESENTER: Wastewater Practice Leader Sean Scuras, Ph.D., PE, BCEE
2:45-3:30 PM CT
The Future is Here: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Advanced Pipeline Condition Assessment Technologies
Pipeline condition assessment, accurate inspection information, and proactive decision-making play vital roles in a municipality’s asset management program. Recent advances in gravity and pressure pipe inspection methods have provided water and wastewater utilities with highly accurate, quantifiable pipeline inspection information through a variety of minimally invasive internal and external technologies. This presentation will provide an overview of advancements toward artificial intelligence inspection platforms, along with reliable machine learning capabilities and emerging trends in pipeline inspection technology.
PRESENTER: Infrastructure Practice Leader Jeff Maier, PE
8:45-9:30 AM CT
And we’re off! – Hitting the Ground Running for the Western Area WWTP Expansion
One of the fastest growing areas of the Huntsville, Alabama area is in the western portion of the city’s existing service area, including the Western Area Wastewater Treatment Plant. The city of Huntsville teamed with Garver to proceed with design and construction of the first phase of the Western Area WWTP expansion, beginning in August 2022. This presentation will focus on the approach elements and provide an overview of the initial buildout evaluation, details of the design and bidding process, and an update on the ongoing construction effort.
PRESENTER: Alabama Water Team Leader Wes Cardwell, PE and City of Huntsville Water Pollution Control Director Shane Cook
2-2:45 PM CT
Evaluating Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) Alternatives Utilizing Process Modeling Software
Industrial water reuse at a wastewater treatment plant served as a point of emphasis for upcoming regulatory changes. The plant historically used treated effluent being conveyed to an industrial user for cooling water, then subsequently discharged as spray irrigation on farmland. An evaluation was done to determine the feasibility of implementing full-scale biological nutrient removal (BNR) at the municipal WWTP as compared to a new treatment facility. This presentation will give a general overview on the need for BNR at this WWTP, including a discussion of the influent characterization and its importance in evaluating nutrient removal alternatives.
PRESENTER: Process Mechanical Manager Rusty Tate, PM
2:45-3:30 PM CT
Practical Steps for Preparing for the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions and Improvements
The Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) and future Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) will impact public water systems across the country. The rules aim to reduce human exposure to lead from drinking water and include requirements related to detecting and responding to elevated lead levels, removing lead from distribution systems, and raising public awareness to the health effects of lead exposure. This presentation will provide a brief overview of major LCRR requirements and LRCI considerations, before focusing on specific actions water systems can take now to prepare to meet compliance standards.
PRESENTER: Distribution System Water Quality Practice Leader Ashley Pifer, Ph.D., PE
3:30-4:15 PM CT
How a $200 Air Release Valve Postponed a $2,500,000 Booster Pump Station Project by Years – A Valuable Lesson in Air-Locking
When Garver reviewed existing as-builts for pipelines and pump stations at Widefield Water and Sanitation District’s Integrated Water and Wastewater Hydraulic Masterplan just south of Colorado Springs, Colorado, they found 18 locations in the distribution systems that did not have air release valves at intermediate highpoints in the pipeline profiles. The recommendation came for the operations staff to install a $200 combination air valve, allowing a consistent increase in air flow to avoid potential air-locked locations and lowering the energy intensity. This resulted in WWSD not having to install a $2.5 million Booster Pump Station upgrade as originally anticipated. This presentation will cover basics in air management theory in pressurized pipes and the energy impact of alleviating the air, as well as how the air mitigation project was deployed.
PRESENTER: Water and Energy Practice Leader Eric Dole, PE, PSAP
Catch up with Garver Water in Mobile. We'll be at Booths 207 and 306!
