Background
Thomasville AL currently runs a 35 acre controlled discharge lagoon system with approximately 85 acres nearby for land application as well. They would like to reclaim the 85 acres currently being used for land application so they can turn it into another industrial park. In order to do so, they have to convert their wastewater lagoons from a controlled discharge system into a continuous discharge system, which means much more stringent limits in their effluent. Originally the community was contemplating abandoning their lagoons altogether and building a multi-million dollar mechanical plant.
Solution & Results
After the conclusion of the pilot study at the refinery in Louisiana, WCS shipped the same open top pilot unit to Thomasville, November 12, 2010. The pilot was given time to rebuild its bio-mass and began sampling on December 13, 2010. The community began by sampling twice a month until May when a review of the data showed excellent performance and the community decided to sample once a week in order to get more data to share with the state. Below are the results of the Ammonia samples taken through the end of the pilot study. For a full review of the pilot study, please contact WCS for the Thomasville White Paper.
Customer Feedback
Kevin Heartsill the Public Works Director for Thomasville recently provided WCS with his feedback regarding the pilot study: “I was VERY skeptical and did not believe that the unit would achieve the sample results for nutrient removal that were proposed. I could not have been more wrong. The sample data collected during the last year combined with the projected installation cost has completely changed our focal direction for the future of wastewater treatment in Thomasville, Alabama. Add to that the virtual lack of operation and maintenance expense and the simplistic design of the product, I cannot find a negative point concerning Bio-Dome technology.”
