Master Planning at the Water Reclamation Plants |
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To ensure the MWRD’s water reclamation plants continue to produce
exceptional quality effluent well into the future, the Engineering
Department has developed Master Plans for the Stickney, Calumet, and North
Side Water Reclamation Plants (WRPs) to determine future needs and establish
long-range plans for the facilities. The planning period began in April of
2003 and the last plan completed was the North Side Master Plan in June of
2007. Currently the Engineering Department is developing a Master Plan for
the Hanover Park WRP, scheduled for completion in the second quarter of
2010. The key objectives of the Master Plans are to assess future flows and
pollutant loadings, to maintain treatment capacity for flows projected
through the year 2040, to replace/upgrade existing plant components, to
review opportunities for process changes, to maximize energy efficiency, and
to provide increased odor control. The Master Planning process includes
performing initial assessments to identify areas of concern, evaluating the
most promising alternatives for improvements, preparing conceptual designs
for the selected alternatives, and developing the priorities for the
improvements including construction sequencing and capital budgeting.
Essentially, the Master Plans are a “road map” to the future. To date, the
three Master Plans have identified and prioritized $2,249,364,000. of
capital improvement projects to be completed over the next 20 years. | |