WaterWays Volume XIV, Number 1 1st Half 2002

I N S I D E On The Horizon: Water Reuse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Community Outreach And Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 General Manager’s Corner . . . . . 4 HRSD Wastewater Olympians. . . 5

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Underwater Pipeline Replaced At Elizabeth River Crossing t was a sight to behold: 1,500 feet of sewer pipeline snaking along State Street in the Berkley section of Norfolk. The new 30-inchdiameter force main replaces an aging 24-inch-diameter cast iron force main, at the end of its useful life. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) was selected as the material for the new pipe because of its durability and its ability to resist corrosion from sewage. The HDPE pipeline was installed just east of the Berkley Bridge crossing underneath the Elizabeth River. Installing pipelines at river crossings is fairly unusual, with only 14 such projects during the past 16 years. Of the 470 or so miles of HRSD interceptor pipeline, only 5.3 miles have been installed using horizontal directional drilling (HDD). This technology has long been used for the exploration of oil and natural gas. HDD has also been applied successfully to trenchless pipeline projects for both cable television and water and sewer force mains, where applicable. It was the method chosen for the 14 projects at river

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crossings throughout Hampton Roads. For those who have not witnessed HDD installation, the technique uses a remotely guided drill head in a three-step process: setup, reaming, and pullback. Simply stated, setup involves contractor mobilization, pipe delivery, pipe fabrication, and testing. Reaming creates a pathway and removes excess material within a bore hole prior to pipeline pullback. During pullback, the final process, the entire pipe is pulled through the bore hole. The HDD project duration was two months. There are many advantages to HDD. This method eliminates environmental impacts because river bottom sediments are not disturbed. The new pipeline has been installed 77 feet beneath the river bottom, whereas the former 55-year-old pipeline had been placed on piles on the river bottom. HDD also eliminates the risks of riverbed erosion, which could expose the pipe, and possible damage from navigational traffic on the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River, a busy thoroughfare for ships and barges. It’s business as usual for the navigational traffic, which is not affected during construction. continued on page 3 HRSD

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On The Horizon: Water Reuse oon, HRSD’s York River Treatment Plant in Seaford will provide 500,000 gallons a day of highly treated effluent to the Giant (formerly BP Amoco) Yorktown Refinery. The effluent will be used to meet the refinery’s nonpotable needs (cooling, boiler feed, and stack scrubbing). This water-wise accomplishment identifies HRSD as a leader in the beneficial reuse of reclaimed wastewater in Virginia, with the first known municipal and industrial project. To provide reclaimed water to the refinery, HRSD determined the least costly option would be to construct a biological treatment system, followed by filtration and disinfection. The construction will be completed in two simultaneous phases. The first phase involves installing filter equipment and additional tanks, pumps, and pipes at the plant site. During the second phase, the pipeline will be installed to carry the reclaimed water from our plant to the refinery. Project construction, as well as the associated reclaimed water storage and transmission system, will be completed in just eight months. The reclaimed water provided will be half the cost of potable water and will allow limited potable water supplies to To provide further treatment of effluent for reuse, filtration will be used with biological treatment and disinfection. Disk filtration offers several advantages to conventional sand filtration. A clothmembrane filter that provides automatic backwash to remove impurities is the best candidate for this application.

demonstration project has shown promising results, consistent with those achieved nationwide. Reclaimed water could be used to irrigate turfgrass and ornamental plants at a city golf course next to VIP. HRSD is also considering a future water reuse project for park irrigation near the James River Treatment Plant in Newport News. HRSD continues to develop markets for this resource, which is continued on page 7

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be conserved for higher-quality uses. It will also advance HRSD toward its long-term goal of reusing all treated effluent. Ideal potential customers include not only industries, but also municipalities, power plants, and others that consistently need large quantities of nonpotable water and are located near our major treatment plants. At the Virginia Initiative Treatment Plant (VIP) in Norfolk, an irrigation

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Underwater Pipeline continued from page 1

Yet another advantage to this method is the speed, taking only 24 hours to perform the pullback of 1,500 feet of pipe. The next phase of the project will be on land, connecting the new pipeline to the existing force main. Approximately 1,200 feet of 30-inch ductile iron pipe will be installed. This phase should be completed by the end of May, when the flow will be directed from the old to the new pipeline. The new, larger-diameter pipeline can handle an additional 4 million gallons of flow daily. Working in downtown Norfolk on the Dominion Tower side posed several challenges. During the project, work had to be scheduled to avoid closing Water Street to provide access to Harbor Park during baseball season. Other challenges included utility conflicts, traffic control, and street closures. As with all projects involving surface waters, precautions are taken to protect water quality.

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It was a sight to behold: 1,500 feet of sewer pipeline snaking along State Street in Norfolk. Pullback of the pipeline through the bore hole took only 24 hours. The new pipeline has been installed 77 feet beneath the river bottom, eliminating environmental and other concerns. WATERWAYS

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WOW! Water, Our World Atlantic Treatment Plant (Virginia Beach) recently held its second annual Earth Action Day, which focused on environmental education for neighboring Ocean Lakes High School students and others. Activities included bird and bat house construction, water quality testing, plant tours, and wildlife habitat restoration. To commemorate the event, Ocean Lakes High School students were challenged artistically to develop a mouse pad design based on the HRSD theme “WOW! Water, Our World.” Bethany Turner, a student at Ocean Lakes High School, created the winning design. Bethany received a cash award of $250 for her artistic creation, while all Earth Action Day participants received a mouse pad depicting her beautiful interpretation of the earth-friendly theme.

Cease The Grease! Grease can be a major culprit in causing sanitary sewer overflows, a critical issue facing many communities in the country as they address aging infrastructure and new regulatory issues. Grease, fats, and oils not only clog your arteries--they also clog your sewer pipes. Grease sticks to the inside of sewer pipes (both on your property and in the streets). Over time, the grease can build up and block the entire pipe. Blocked sewer pipes can cause backups and overflows, damaging your home, the sewer system, and the environment. HRSD is launching a public awareness campaign to advise us all to Cease the Grease. Here are some tips to help prevent “greasy” problems and E GREASE H potentially costly repairs and maintenance for you:

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• Don’t pour grease down sink drains or garbage disposals or into toilets. • Scrape grease and food scraps from plates, pots and pans, and grills and put them in the trash. • Put baskets/strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps.

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On September 11, 2001, America’s foundation of security was shaken by devastating national tragedies. We continue to mourn these losses but seek to prevent such future tragedies. Concern remains high that our water and wastewater infrastructure is vulnerable to terrorist attack – biological, chemical, and structural. Knowledge, planning, and preparedness are key to addressing this concern. HRSD is a member of the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA), which has joined with fellow wastewater and water agencies to participate in the Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Advisory Group, formed by the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA). AMWA established the CIP Advisory Group to coordinate efforts within the water sector to address protection of the nation's water and wastewater infrastructure from both physical and cyber threats. The Advisory Group promotes water-sector vulnerability assessments, including interdependencies with other critical sectors, encourages the development of emergency procedures for response and recovery, and oversees development of an Information Sharing and Analysis Center for water and wastewater. The Advisory Group also suggests areas for continued research and development on security-related priorities. AMSA and the Advisory

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HRSD Wastewater Olympians Bring Home Honors In International Competition HRSD Bio-Force won trophies in all events and placed second overall at this year’s international Operations Challenge in Atlanta. The team won first place trophies in process control and collection systems, second place in pump maintenance, and fourth place in laboratory analysis and safety. HRSD’s combined point total for all events captured second place in the overall competition, with only eight points (of 500) separating HRSD Bio-Force from the first place winner, the L. A. Wrecking Crew. Representing HRSD were: • Gene Groszek, Plant Operator, Atlantic Treatment Plant • Mike Harris, Plant Operator, Chesapeake-Elizabeth Treatment Plant • Joel Niemi, Plant Operator, Army Base Treatment Plant • Wesley Warren, Lead Operator, Nansemond Treatment Plant • George Gregory, Team Coach, retired Superintendent of the Chesapeake-Elizabeth Treatment Plant Thirty-eight teams competed in this year’s event, held as part of the Water Environment Federation’s WEFTEC ’01 conference. Recognized as tough competition, HRSD has won first place five times and second place four times in the 14 years since Operations Challenge began in 1988.

Recently, HRSD Bio-Force edged out Franklin for first place in the Virginia competition. These top two teams will then compete at Operations Challenge in Chicago in October. Shown here, HRSD Bio-Force demonstrates the collection systems event at Earth Action Day and the pump maintenance and safety events at the employee picnic.

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General Manager’s Corner continued from page 4 Group are working closely with Congress, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U. S. Department of Energy, and the National Infrastructure Protection Center to ensure that adequate federal funding, support, and information sharing occur to protect the nation's water and wastewater infrastructure. Within AMSA, the AMSA Board has formed a Wastewater Infrastructure Security Task Force, and I have the honor of serving on this Task Force. The Task Force is charged with developing and implementing security initiatives for public wastewater agencies nationwide. Both immediate and longterm security needs of these agencies have been identified. We are formulating programs to promote physical and operational security, chemical/ biological detection and warning, emergency response, and service restoration and continuity planning. Safety and security were serious matters for HRSD long before September 11. I am very proud of the many steps we have taken over the last 10 years to protect our employees, our facilities, and the communities we serve. However, the times require us to be even more attentive to security issues. Immediately following the terrorist attacks, I formed the HRSD Security Task Force. This group, in cooperation with local and federal authorities, has taken the lead in upgrading security and increasing awareness in several sensitive areas. Safety and security remain a top priority at HRSD.

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Notable United Way Hero Award

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HRSD employees participated in both the South Hampton Roads and Peninsula United Way Day of Caring, working at the Hope Center in Chesapeake and the YMCA in Hampton. The Day of Caring is an annual event drawing over 4,000 volunteers to help in the community, kicking off the United Way campaign. In addition, employees contributed to the annual fund-raising campaign. Last year’s campaign raised $15,603. This year, the generosity of our employees increased contributions 60 percent, and HRSD received star recognition. On the South Shore (South Hampton Roads), $14,387 was raised, exceeding this year’s goal by 43 percent. On the North Shore (Peninsula), $10,458 was raised, exceeding this year’s goal by 54 percent. The North Shore contributions earned HRSD the United Way Hero Award for reaching the greatest goal increase, compared to other Peninsula organizations.

HRSD scored a double-double in the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agency (AMSA) awards arena! For the second consecutive year, HRSD won two Member Agency National Environmental Achievement Awards. The Member Agency awards are in the categories of Public Information and Education (“Pump It, Don’t Dump It” boater education program) and Operations (small communities program). Since its inception in 1983, the AMSA awards program has recognized 125 individuals and 91 member agencies for their impressive accomplishments. This year, 29 award recipients, including HRSD, will be honored during AMSA’s National Environmental Policy Forum and 32nd Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., in May.

New HRSD Commissioners: Parris Carson and Ty Bland

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HRSD welcomes two recently appointed commissioners. Our newest commissioner, Parris Delano Carson, retired in 1997 as Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel and Special Programs for Suffolk Public Schools. During his career, Mr. Carson served as principal of Nansemond River, John F. Kennedy, and Smithfield high schools, as well as an assistant principal and teacher in Portsmouth’s public school system. Mr. Carson earned a B. S. in biology from Elizabeth City State University and a Master of Education degree from Virginia State University. Mr. Carson joins another newcomer, R. Tyler (Ty) Bland III. Mr. Bland served as mayor of West Point from 1992 to 1998 and served on the West Point town council from 1990 to 1998. Currently, he is the owner and broker of Tidewater Realty and a director of the Bank of Essex and Rappahannock Community College Foundation. Mr. Bland received his bachelor’s degree in engineering from Virginia Military Institute.

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Certificate of Appreciation from Virginia Tech and DEQ Virginia Tech and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality recognized HRSD for 25 years of service in the Virginia Tech Short School. The Short School provides four levels of training for approximately 300 wastewater treatment plant operators each year. HRSD has provided staff trainers for the school’s wastewater operator training for the past 25 years. continued on page 8 HRSD

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Water Reuse Is Water Wise Rather than dispose of highly treated effluent, HRSD encourages reclaiming this resource, where economically and environmentally justified. Water reuse is a highly accepted practice and has already proven successful in Florida, California, Arizona, and many other parts of the United States, where reclaimed water is being produced for irrigation, industrial purposes, and other nonpotable needs. Reuse is a good management strategy because it conserves drinking water resources, saving highquality potable water for the best use, and contributes to the overall restoration of the Chesapeake Bay.

On The Horizon: Water Reuse continued from page 2

a key siting factor in economic development involving large new demands for nonpotable water. For example, power generators seeking development sites in the area find water reuse a very attractive siting factor. When power plant developers seek suitable sites, they look for those that are zoned properly, have available electrical transmission capacity, and have access to sufficient fuel supply (either coal or natural gas). However, the most limiting siting factor is usually cooling water. James City Energy Park, with a proposed size of 580 megawatts, is being developed in the Williamsburg area. The developers approached HRSD about providing 3.6 million gallons a day of reclaimed water for cooling. Approximately 0.8 million gallons would be returned to HRSD for treatment. Currently, this power plant prospect is in its infancy but appears very promising. House Bill 1282, passed by the 2000 Virginia General Assembly, requires the State Water Control Board to promote and establish requirements for wastewater reclamation and reuse. Ultimately, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has regulatory authority over any water reuse project. DEQ is developing specific regulations for technical standards of water reuse. Initial regulations will authorize at least two categories of nonpotable uses: irrigation and industrial purposes (including cooling water,

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vehicle washing, and fire protection). A 1999 DEQ study concluded that properly treated reclaimed wastewater can be used, when properly managed, for water reuse projects that fully protect both public health and the environment. In addition, the Virginia Department of Health fully supports nonpotable reuse of reclaimed wastewater.

HRSD: Ensuring wastewater is not wasted water. WaterWays is published in April and October and highlights HRSD’s activities, projects, innovations, services, and goals. WaterWays is published by HRSD P.O. Box 5911 Virginia Beach, VA 23471-0911 For further information, contact Nancy E. Gray Public Information Manager (757) 460-7049 E-Mail: [email protected]

At HRSD our mission is to prevent pollution, protect public health, and support community development by providing wastewater collection, treatment, and related services.

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J. R. Cannon, Procurement Manager (Finance and Administration), was elected president of the Virginia Association of Governmental Purchasing. Ed Hartman, Water Quality Supervising Specialist (Water Quality), was appointed to serve on the field activities committee for the EPA/National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference. Jennifer Heilman, Administrative Coordinator (Engineering), received an A. A. degree in liberal arts from Saint Leo University. Cheryl Young, Human Resources Analyst (Finance and Administration), was recognized as a Certified Professional by the International Personnel Management Association and the National Society of Human Resources Management.

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HRPDC Receives Chesapeake Environmental Award Congratulations to the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC)! HRPDC received a Government Agency Award from the Chesapeake Environmental Improvement Council. HRPDC was honored for their exemplary community outreach for three Hampton Roads programs: HR WET, HR STORM, and HR CLEAN. HR WET (Water Efficiency Team) promotes water conservation, HR STORM promotes storm water management, and HR CLEAN promotes recycling and waste management. HRSD is a member of HR WET. HRSD

P.O. Box 5911 Virginia Beach, VA 23471-0911

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IF YOU NO LONGER WISH TO RECEIVE THIS NEWSLETTER, PLEASE CONTACT THE PUBLIC INFORMATION MANAGER AT [email protected] OR 460-7049.

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