Project Summary

Waterville Valley is located in the heart of the White Mountains and provides advanced wastewater treatment for this resort community. Constructed in 1974, this facility was designed as a state-of-the-art solids and nutrient removal facility, consisting of two aerated lagoons followed by a physical/chemical tertiary treatment system. The facility is capable of processing 550,000 gallons per day and meets some of the most stringent NPDES discharge requirements in New Hampshire.  

Wastewater is collected through a network of gravity sewer pipes to the headworks where it passes through a micro-strainer and a gravity settled grit collection trough before collecting in a wet well. Wastewater is pumped from the wet well to the first of two treatment lagoon where constant aeration breaks down the raw wastewater.  . From the second lagoon wastewater flows to the tertiary treatment process where chemicals are added to enhance solids settling in the reactor clarifiers. Solids are pumped to a sludge holding lagoon while the wastewater leaving the clarifiers travels to dual media filters, ammonia removal tanks, and carbon columns for further biological treatment and solids removal. Water then leaves the carbon columns and flows to a contact tank where chlorine is added to  disinfect the treated water before it is discharged to the Mad River. 

Hoyle Tanner partnered with the WWTF staff to create an informational video showcasing a tour of the facility and a basic overview of the various processes necessary for treating wastewater at that facility. This video also outlined the need for facility improvements. As a seasonal resort community, reaching property owners presented challenges and sharing the informational video was imperative for voters to understand the need for wastewater upgrades. The community uploaded the information video and shared it with residents through social media prior to the annual Town meeting and displayed it again at Town meeting so voters could ask any questions about the Town’s needs prior to voting. Funding for this project passed with more than 95% in favor allowing the community to move forward with preliminary design of wastewater treatment facility alternatives.