STEVEN M. CLOUSE WATER RECYCLING CENTER PROJECT

During recent years our society has learned that recycling paper, aluminum, plastic and other resources is more environmentally responsible than continually looking for new resources. Today the same principle applies to water. Water recycling – the effective treatment and reuse of wastewater – protects public health, the natural environment and the wildlife that depends on it, downstream water supplies and water sources for recreational use.

Steven M. Clouse Water Recycling Center (Clouse WRC), formerly known as Dos Rios Water Recycling Center, is one of three centers owned and operated by San Antonio Water System (SAWS). The three centers process millions of gallons of recycled water each day for the San Antonio area. Clouse WRC, completed in 1987, is the newest and largest of the three. It is permitted to treat 125 million gallons per day (mgd), with a permitted peak flow of 250 mgd. On an average day we treat approximately 100 mgd. It sits on approximately 600 acres of land and serves as a support facility for the three WRC’s, having a supply & material depot, a fueling depot, a vehicle maintenance facility and a laboratory operated by other SAWS groups.

Clouse WRC is located near the junction of the San Antonio and Medina Rivers. The highly treated wastewater has improved water quality in the two rivers. In recent years, pollution sensitive species such as the log perch have been sighted in the stream near the recycled water outfall.

CLOUSE TRIFICTA This recycling process produces useful byproducts, 1. Recycled water: Or called Effluent, can be used for irrigation, river walk, golf course, and in industrial processes. The recycled water will be directed to the two rivers by Close WRC, or kept in the purple tanks.2. Biosolids: called also as “Dry cake” which is the final product of the dewatering phase in the solid train, can be used as a fertilizer for soil conditioning or compost production once mixed with chip. 3. Bio Gases: As a biproduct of the anaerobic Fermentation process in the digester, Methane biogas can be captured and used to generate energy.

LIQUID TRAIN:Water recycling employs basic physical, biological and chemical principles to remove contaminants from water:

1. PHYSICAL TREATMENT (PRIMARY)

a. First raw sewage or influent is routed through Bar Screens to remove large solids such as sticks, rags and plastic material from the water.

b. Next, the water flows through Grit chamber were the flow slows down and particles like sand or coffee grounds can settle out.

Page 1

c. The water then flows into the primary clarifiers where solids settle to the bottom and oils and fats rise to the top and are directed away to the solid digesters to be processed into biosolids.

2. BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT (SECONDARY):

d. After several hours in the primary clarifiers the water is directed into the aeration basins where the **biologic treatment (Aerobic)portion of the process occurs. Aerobic microorganisms(bugs) Will be added, those microorganisms live in oxygenated environment, added air will stimulate their respiration, they eat and consume organic materials in the clarified waste water and then eat themselves, those organisms produce Carbon Dioxide and water.

e. Flow from the aeration basins enters the final clarifiers where any remaining solids settle to the bottom and are directed to the solid digesters.

3. TERTIARY TRETMENT (CHEMICAL):

f. The flow leaves the clarifiers, travels through a series of Sand filters where any remaining particles are filtered out.

g. Finally, the disinfection phase of the process where water is treated with chlorine to ensure the destruction of pathogenic organisms and then dechlorinated with sulfur dioxide to safeguard the receiving stream, and to balance and naturalize the chlorine content in the outgoing water.

h. The water is now called effluent and is ready for release to the environment or to be reused for industrial uses or irrigation.

Page 2

LIQUID TRAIN

Page 3 SOLID TRAIN:

1. The primary sludge (coming out of the primary clarifier) and secondary sludge (coming out from the final clarifier) passing by the Thickener which will squeeze the excess water out of it will go to the Digester.

2. Once in the Digester under heated temperatures, the Anaerobic Fermentation process will take place, with the existence of the anaerobic organisms that doesn’t need oxygen, it will digest the volatile solids and produce Methane, the biogas that will be used to produce energy.

3. In the De-watering phase, excess water will be drained out to produce fertilizer (dry cake), there are two methods:a. Mechanical: which will allow the water to be squeezed out of the solid over “Press

Belts”.b. Natural: Solids will be spread out over porous sand beds to drain the excess water

over longer periods of time and percolate back to the main system (start over the recycling process)

SOLID TRAIN Page 4

Wastewater Key Words

Aeration Basins - tanks where oxygen is mixed with the wastewater so that bacterial microorganisms consume the organic material as food and convert non-settleable solids to settleable solids. *Aerobic organism - an organism that can survive and grow in an oxygenated environment, used in the Aeration Basin. *Anaerobic organism – any organism that does not require oxygen for growth and may even die in its presence, used . Bar Screens or Fine Screens - remove large floating objects such as sticks and rags from the incoming wastewater stream. Unless they are removed, they could cause problems later in the treatment process. Most of these materials are sent to a landfill. *Biosolid – the solid byproduct of wastewater treatment. *Biogas – the methane gas byproduct of wastewater treatment. Chlorine - a powerful chemical used to disinfectant water. Contamination – an impurity in air, soil or water that can cause harm to human health or the environment. Digesters – large tanks where bacteria break down (digest) waste material, reducing its volume, odors, and getting rid of organisms that can cause disease. Disinfection – the use of chlorine contact chambers used to kill any remaining microorganisms. *Effluent – Recycled water- water that has been through the recycling process and is ready to be released back into the environment. Grit chamber - large tanks designed to slow wastewater just enough so that sand and grit drop to the bottom. *Influent – wastewater (Raw Sewage) entering a wastewater treatment facility. Microorganism - an organism that is microscopic or too small to be seen by the naked human eye. Organic matter - matter that has come from a once-living organism. Outfall - the point where recycled water is discharged to a stream or body of water. Pollutant – a substance in the water, air, or soil that leads to unhealthy conditions for human, plant, or animal habitation. Precipitation – the stage of the water cycle when water vapor molecules become too large and heavy to remain in the atmosphere and fall to the ground in the form of rain, snow, sleet, hail, etc. *Primary Clarification – process in which wastewater is slowed so that settleable organic materials drop to the bottom while fats, oils, and greases float to the top. *Final clarifiers where any remaining solids settle to the bottom and are directed to the solid digesters. Quality – to be at a high degree of excellence. Recycled water – treated wastewater used for non-potable purposes (because it’s high in nitrates) like landscaping irrigation and industry. Sludge - the residual semi-solid material left from the wastewater treatment process, it will be sent to the digester.

a. Primary Sludge: Remaining solids after the primary clarification.b. Activated Sludge: Remaining solids after the final clarification. Page 5

Wastewater - used water, includes substances such as human waste, food scraps, oils, soaps and chemicals. Wastewater treatment (recycling) – removing contaminants from wastewater so that it is safe to be released into the environment.

Water Cycle – the never-ending movement of water through the atmosphere, ground and back again; also called the hydrologic cycle.

FOR YOUR REVIEW, HERE IS THE VIDEO LINK https://vimeo.com/173104941

GRADING RUBRIC: EACH PHASE OF THE PROJECT WILL BE GRADED AS FOLLOWS:

1. Titles on each document. 5 points2. Accurate data (information) documented from the provided document (pages 1-5) 15 points3. Following organization of the pages (dividing) as explained under instructions and

as in the provided work sample 10 points4. Color coding as in the provided work samples 10 points 5. Alignment between liquid train and solid train boards (where the primary sludge

and Activated sludge) meets. 5 points. 6. Over all look of the project. 5 points

Page 6

STEVEN CLOUSE PROJECT

Last year’s Sophomore classes (in teams) did a 3D board project over the water recycling system at Steven Clouse plant (DOS Rios previously). Unfortunitly this year you’ll not be able to do the same, instead, you’ll do a small project similar to last year’s project.

OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT: You will be able to:

a. Recognize the phases of recycling water and what happen in each phase.b. Find out the outcome of the phase and what is the impact on the environment.c. Learn the New Key terms in relation to each phase.

PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS: AFTER READING THE DOCUMENT ALONG WITH THE KEYTERMS, watch the video to get an understanding of the water recycling process at Steven Clouse plant and all the water recycling plants around the world.

We will work on this project on 4 steps, each step will take a week to be completed, starting this coming week. We will start with the Liquid Train which is going to take this week and the following week to be completed. Then we will be working for a week on the Solid Train. The final week of this project we will be working on “Clouse Trifecta”.

I will review the lesson material required for each step during class time, then give you the rest of the time to work on the project.

FIRST: LIQUID TRAIN. DUE DATE: END OF WEEK OF MAY 4th – May 8 th

1. To prepare : Attach 2 81/2” X 11” sheets of papers LONGITUDENALY (tape at the back) as shown in the sample work attached below.

2. To organize the information, phases, and key terms on the attached paper : Start dividing the long-attached papers using Construction lines for the major process categories as shown EXACTLY below. Write the title of the sheet

3. We will start with the LIQUID TRAIN first: Divide the paper into approximately 3 longitudinal parts (columns) with very light construction lines that you will erase later.

4. Write the 3 phases on the narrow column to the left of the sheets (colored in yellow, green, and blue), You’ll color later after all the information is documented on the sheets towards the end of doing it.

5. Go back to page 3 where you’ll see a blue hand bubble around multiple boxes representing the phases of the Liquid Train. Start drawing the boxes in the same manner I have them down below in the sample approximately in the middle column.

6. Fill in the boxes with the phase that belong to that box. 7. DEFINITIONS : Create a box to the right of each phase box that you already drew in the middle of

the page, write down what happen in this phase or the DEFINITION of the phase (whatever is provided in the text body of this document) that clarifies the phase. The size (length x width) of the box depends on the text content that relate to the box (as seen in the sample below)

8. Make sure that there are downward arrows between the phases. 9. Write down Influent (Raw sewer water) on the incoming arrow to the first phase Bar Screen

along with a box defining Influent below the word. 10. Draw an arrow going to the Aeration Basin with air/Oxygen written on it.

11. Draw an arrow going out of the last phase, Dis-infection with Effluent and Reuse outfall on it. Draw a box with the definition of Effluent.

12. *****ALLIGNMENT: There will be a connection between the Liquid Train and solid train sheets. It will be lines going out from the Primary clarification definition box with the word PRIMARY written on it, and the other will be going out from the Final Clarification box with the word ACTIVATED written on it. Those two lines will connect to the rest of an arrow head in the solid Train sheet which will have the word SLUDGE written on both of the arrow lines.

13. On the narrow long side bar to the left of the pages, write down the 3 stages (categories) Physical, Biological, and Tertiary (chemical) Treatments.

14. Now it’s time to color. Pay attention that the 1st 3 phases are Physical treatment (YELLOW),

the 2nd two phases are Biological Treatment (GREEN), the last 2 phases are Chemical (Tertiary)

treatment (BLUE).

SECOND: SOLID TRAIN. DUE DATE: END OF WEEK OF MAY 11th – MAY 15 th 1. Refer to page 4, the Orange bubble is around the 3 phases of the Solid Train. On a piece of

paper 81/2” X 11”, Write the Title at the top and create 3 boxes filled with the 3 phases of the solid Train, Digester, De-watering and the Thickener below that will have the activated sludge going into it before going to the digester.

2. ***Align the two Trains (Liquid and Solid) together by having the PRIMARY SLUDGE going to the digester, and the ACTIVATED SLUDGE going to the Thickener.

3. Write ANAEROBIC FERMINTATION under the digester along with what happed inside the digester.

4. Write the 2 ways Dry cake (Fertilizer) is made, MECHANICAL and NATURAL.5. Draw an arrow that go out from De-Watering phase with BIOSOLIDS written on it.

THIRD: CLOUSE TRIFICTA. DUE DATE: END OF WEEK OF MAY 18th- May 22 nd

1. Refer to page 1. On a piece of paper (81/2” x 11”) write the title TRIFICTA at the top center of the page.

2. Create 3 small rectangles and write inside them, Recycled water, Biosolids, and Biogas. 3. Create boxes below each of the top small rectangles that have the definition of each Byproduct

of each phase.4. Color the boxes.

PROJECT TIME LINE:

WEEK OF APRIL 20 th - APRIL 23 rd : HOMEWORK: Students should read the project instructions before coming to class. CLASSWORK: We will go on a VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP TO STEVEN CLOUSE RECYCLING PLANT(SAWS). I Will introduce the project to students.

WEEK of APRIL 27 th – MAY 1 st : HOMEWORK: Students should come to class that week finished with steps 1-5 in the previous page. CLASSWORK: Students will work on step 6 during class time.

WEEK OF MAY 4 th – May 8 th : HOMEWORK: Students should come to class finished with steps 7-13.

CLASSWORK: Students will work on step 14 (coloring the project) in class. Liquid Train part will be DUE at the end of the week.

WEEK OF MAY 11 th – May 15 th : HOMWWORK: Students should come to class finished with steps 1-2 of the second part of the project Solid Train (2nd paragraph from the top of this page). CLASSWORK: Students will work on steps 3-5 during class time. Solid Train will be DUE at the end of the week.

LIQUID TRAIN Page 9

SOLID TRAIN CLOUSE TRIFICTA

PUT THE 3 PIECES OF PAPER AS IN THE SAMPLE WORK

THIS IS HOW YOUR FINAL PROJECT SHOULD LOOK LIKE

Page 10

EXAMPLES OF LAST YEAR STUDENT BOARDS

EACH TEAM OF 3-4 STUDENTS WORKED ON ONE OF THE TWO TRAINS ( SOLID OR LIQUID)

BOTH TEAMS COORDINATED TO HAVE SIMILAR MEDIA PRESENTATION AS IF IT WAS MADE BY ONE PERSON (EVEN THOUGH 6_8 STUDENTS WERE REALLY WORKING CLOSELY)