Wastewater Treatment Plant Technical Review
Trihydro performed a technical review of the Town of Jackson’s wastewater system operations to identify improvement options to meet state discharge requirements, protect the ecosystem, and provide cost-effective utility services.
Constructed in the late 1970s with its last major modification in the mid-1990s, the Town of Jackson’s wastewater treatment plant serves permanent residents and several satellite districts in Teton County. The Town of Jackson contracted Trihydro to complete a technical review of the wastewater treatment plant to better understand current operations and define short- and long-term wastewater treatment and effluent water quality monitoring and discharge improvements.
Serving 10,000 year-round residents and 4 million tourists each year, the wastewater treatment plant consists of 10 lagoon cells, a preliminary treatment building and influent pump station, various aeration systems, an intermediate pump system, and ultraviolet disinfection. Wastewater treatment plant discharge flows through a constructed barrow pond and wetland series before discharging to the Snake River.
Assessing Wastewater Treatment Plant Conditions
Trihydro began with a wastewater treatment plant condition assessment, through which the project team evaluated current operations and equipment. We scored equipment based on set criteria and summarized the condition assessment in a technical memorandum.
Evaluating Improvement Options
Trihydro then evaluated potential conceptual-level improvements including aeration modifications, bioreactor installation, clarifier installation, conversion to a mechanical wastewater treatment plant, water reuse, and sludge removal.
The team modeled recommended improvements to predict potential wastewater quality results and evaluated each recommendation against criteria, including water quality improvements; capital, operation, and maintenance costs; energy usage; and training and licensing. The model is a high-level representation of wastewater treatment plant results if the Town of Jackson were to implement changes and improvements.
Gathering Feedback
To gather feedback on recommended improvements, Trihydro developed a decision matrix with cost-to-benefit ratios assigned to each option and led discussions with the Town of Jackson and the steering committee. Trihydro compiled the condition assessment, improvement recommendations, decision matrix scores, and project findings into a final technical report. Trihydro then held a public forum to discuss the technical review process, present project findings, and answer questions.
