Project Summary

Hoyle Tanner developed a program to provide technical assistance, education, and outreach to wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) operators whose plants discharge to waterways in the Lake Champlain Basin. The project provides technical assistance, education, and outreach for municipal WWTFs subject to reduced effluent phosphorous limits under the 2016 Phosphorous Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) for Vermont Segments of Lake Champlain with the overarching goal of reducing phosphorus in WWTF effluent. 

Hoyle Tanner completed an Initial Assessment Report to identify specific WWTFs to participate in focused optimization efforts. Five WWTFs were selected – Marshfield (aerated lagoon without chemical addition), Hardwick (aerated lagoon with chemical addition), Pittsford (extended aeration with anoxic selector), Northfield (sequencing batch reactor/SBR), and Fairhaven (oxidation ditch with anoxic selector). 

For approximately 12 consecutive months, Hoyle Tanner worked with these selected facilities to evaluate existing treatment processes, operating methods, process controls; determine current phosphorus removal efficiency; recommend near-term and long-term process control adjustments; and evaluate results of the recommended near-term optimization recommendations. Our team developed sampling plans and process testing to inform optimization efforts. Additionally, we evaluated  potential sources of high strength phosphorus contributions to collections systems and completed community outreach with potential high strength dischargers on best practices to reduce phosphorus in the waste stream. 

The Hoyle Tanner wastewater team is in our third year of collaboration with the Vermont DEC and more than 50 WWTF whose discharge enters Lake Champlain.  Our team will produce a final report, optimization guidance documents and make a presentation of findings to the VTDEC and the WWTF operators within the Lake Champlain Basin.