The City of Waterville needed to upgrade their existing wastewater treatment facility which was more than 50 years old and to meet effluent limits for phosphorus. The city and Bolton & Menk worked together to develop and evaluate various treatment options, their costs, and their impacts on the environment. During the planning stages, a comprehensive approach was taken to minimize impacts of construction on Lake Sakatah, the receiving body of water, while providing a regional treatment facility that could easily be expanded to help serve area lakes and campgrounds.
A biological nutrient removal extended aeration activated sludge process followed by gravity sand filtration was selected to meet current and future community needs. This process can also be easily modified to meet additional and more stringent effluent requirements in the future. The project received significant grants as part of the phosphorus removal improvements. The project provides the City of Waterville the ability to meet the wastewater needs of its residents and businesses while meeting effluent quality standards set forth by the MPCA.
