HomeMy WebLinkAboutP2_SummerNewsletter2019theneighborhoodconnection
published by the orange county sanitation district
{Vol. 1, No. 6} Summer 2019
A s the summer weather heats up, more and more people flock
to the beaches. Beach-goers have a passion for the ocean
waters, and so does OCSD. Treated wastewater from Plant No.
2 is released through a 5-mile long ocean outfall in Huntington Beach.
Our Ocean Monitoring Program, which is overseen by the United Stated
Environmental Protection Agency and the California Regional Water
Quality Control Board regularly monitors the marine life, sediment
quality, and water quality within 35-square-miles of ocean off Huntington
Beach. Water samples are collected weekly and the laboratory performs
nearly 100,000 analysis on the water samples each year.
According to the 2017-18 Marine Monitoring Annual Report, OCSD’s
release of treated wastewater to coastal waters has had no significant
impact on the marine environment or risks to human health. The full
report can be found in the “Staying True to Our Mission” news article on
our website, www.ocsd.com.
Over the next several years,
Orange County Sanitation
District’s (OCSD) Capital
Improvement Program is
focusing on infrastructure and
resource recovery. This OCSD
publication is to keep you, our
neighbors, informed about
construction activities at our
Huntington Beach treatment
facility (Plant No. 2).
Sailing
Ocean
Waters
the
Nerissa is our ocean monitoring
and research vessel. According
to a Greek myth, Nerissa was
one of 50 sea goddess sisters who
lived at the bottom of the sea
protecting and assisting sailors.
94% of SoCal beaches earned “A” grades during the summer season.
View the Annual Beach Report Card 2019 at www.healthebay.org.
the neighborhood connection/summer 2019 | published by the orange county sanitation district
FacilitiesMasterPlan
OCSD created a Facilities Master
Plan in 2017 to keep the two plants
(Plant No. 1 in Fountain Valley and
Plant No. 2 in Huntington Beach)
and our collection system trunk
sewers in tip top shape over the next
20 years. The plan consists of over
80 projects that will be constructed
over time and allow us to continue
with our wastewater operations. The
environmental impacts of the projects
are currently being analyzed per
the California Environmental Quality
Act requirements. The Notice of
Preparation will be available in the
coming weeks for public review and
two meetings will be held to discuss
the proposed projects.
Please visit www.ocsd.com/CEQA
for further details on projects, as
well as meeting dates and locations.
The Ocean Outfall System
project adjacent to the Santa
Ana River is constructing a
new low flow pump station
and a new plant water pump
station. Cement deep soil
mixing is taking place to
improve the ground capacity
and strength by improving the
soils underneath the location
of the new structures. A
mixing rig will construct
cement-mixed columns
extending 45 feet deep below
the ground surface.
This work will take place
over the next few months.
Some activities may be loud
or noticeable. Work hours
are Monday through Friday,
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more
information on this project,
visit www.ocsd.com/plant2.
DIG
A
LITTLE
DEEPER
the neighborhood connection/summer 2019 | published by the orange county sanitation district
Question: How many wet tons of biosolids are currently produced per day as a result of OCSD’s
treatment process?
Answer: On average, around 550 tons, or 1,100,000 pounds per day! To put in perspective, the
average standard car weighs around 2 tons. With the centrifuges replacing the dewatering belt
presses, the amount of biosolids will be reduced by approximately one-third because more water
(and weight) will be extracted from the total amount produced.
Imagine laundry as it goes through the
washer. The cycle includes a wash, rinse, and
ends with a spin to remove the water. The
idea with the spin cycle is to remove as much
water to reduce drying time either in the dryer
or when hanging up to dry.
The Sludge Dewatering & Odor Control
project is putting the “spin cycle” on
biosolids, the nutrient-rich, treated organic
matter recovered through the treatment of
wastewater. Previously, biosolids would
go through dewatering belt presses where
water was squeezed out. The “spin cycle”
is replacing the aging belt presses with
centrifuges to make drier biosolids. The
centrifuges are a high-speed process
that uses the force from rapid rotation of
a cylindrical bowl to separate liquid from
wastewater solids.
These new dewatering centrifuges are
operational, and the obsolete belt press
facilities are being demolished. The project
will be complete by next year. There is a
similar project at our Plant No. 1 facility
in Fountain Valley that will complete
construction by the end of this year.
Centrifuges are able to dewater biosolids
more efficiently than belt presses, producing
drier biosolids resulting in a reduction in truck
hauling and management expenses in an
estimated savings of $4 million per year for
both Plants No. 1 and 2.
Adding a
Spin Cycle
to Biosolids
Treatment
This project included the addition of five new dewatering centrifuges which replace the aging belt filter presses.
Need to get a hold of us?
Reach your community liaisons at constructionhotline@ocsd.com or call 714.378.2965.
Check out our website at www.ocsd.com/construction.
Come for a tour of our Huntington Beach facility and learn more about the wastewater treatment process. Upcoming tour dates:
Friday, August 16 at 9:30 a.m.
Saturday, September 14 at 9:30 a.m.
Friday, October 18 at 9:30 a.m.
Email forinformation@ocsd.com or call (714) 593-7135 to sign up.
Registration is required at least one week prior to the tour date. Tour may
be cancelled if a minimum number of reservations has not been met.
What’s over the fence?
the neighborhood connection/summer 2019 | published by the orange county sanitation district
Follow us on social
media @OCSEWERS.
10844 Ellis Avenue
Fountain Valley, California 92708
Celebrating 65 years of Impressions
Saturday, July 27
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
• There will be games, activities and more
• Tour OC’s largest wastewater
treatment facility
• Compost Giveaway
OCSD is Turning 65
and We Are Celebrating
10844 Ellis Avenue, Fountain Valley, CA 92708