Background
Plain City experienced tremendous growth over the last decade, and the 300,000 gallons/day wastewater flow was beginning to exceed permitted levels of 30mg/L for BOD in a 6 cell, 36 acre lagoon system. After receiving a proposal for an $8M mechanical plant, Plain City investigated competitive alternatives.
Solution & Results
In 2008, WCS proposed that 50 Bio-Domes be placed in an “alley” utilizing a hanging curtain to ensure that all water flowed past the units as a polishing step in a secondary pond. The proposal was accepted and the entire installation, including the curtain, cost less than $150k.
Once the 50 Bio-Domes were installed, Plain City was able to achieve BOD compliance using just 3 of their 6 ponds, which provided significant additional capacity for future growth. The chart above illustrates the relative removal rates for BOD between the poo-gloo zone and the normal facultative lagoons. Additionally, Plain City has seen a significant decrease in their TSS levels as a result of the Bio-Domes ability to disrupt algae blooms. The image to the right illustrates this.
Customer Feedback
The community is happy with their system, particularly the fact that they’ve been able to shut down 3 of the 6 lagoons and still remain in regulatory compliance.