Tertiary Filtration Upgrade Project, Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission, Eugene/Springfield, OR
Dr. Caliskaner was the lead process engineer for the 14 million gallons per day (MGD) upgrade of the Eugene/Springfield Water Pollution Control Facility by adding tertiary filtration facilities to meet the future discharge regulatory requirements. The benefits of adding filtration were twofold. First, discharging filtered effluent to the Willamette River would reduce the concentration and mass of biochemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids to help meet discharge permit limits. Second, by producing a Class A recycled water for use in irrigation and industrial processes, Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission would reduce the thermal loads to the Willamette River by diverting a portion of the relatively warm effluent from the river.
Onder was in charge of the pilot testing program which involved parallel testing of three different types of wastewater filtration technologies (Cloth Media Disk Filter, Compressible Medium Filter, and Continuous Backwash Granular Filter). These three different technologies have not previously been tested side by side for tertiary filtration. The primary objective of the pilot testing program was to assess and compare the performance of the wastewater filters to meet the criteria for unrestricted wastewater reuse. Tertiary filtration facility was designed based on the pilot project results and was constructed in 2011.