February 8, 2011
The Texas Water Development Board has selected a proposed San Patricio County wastewater reuse project for possible financing under a state low interest loan program. The selection was based on the positive environmental value of such a water conservation project.
The Water District Board of Directors voted to go forward with the next step, authorizing Naismith Engineering Inc. to submit a formal application to the state for further consideration. Don Roach, assistant general manager, said there will be several additional steps that must be completed before a decision can be made on moving the proposal forward.
The District has been in discussions with Alcoa, Sherwin Alumina Co. and the City of Portland to consider the possibility of jointly developing a system that would capture treated water produced by the Portland Wastewater Plant. Approximately 1.5 million gallons are currently discharged each day from the plant into the northeast corner of Nueces Bay. It was previously determined that the existing effluent discharge has no positive environmental impact on the Nueces-Corpus Christi Bay system.
The reclaimed water would be pumped via pipeline to a point near the Sherwin Alumina Plant east of Gregory where it would be used by Alcoa and Sherwin for dust control including establishing vegetation on the existing tailings beds, and as manufacturing process water.
When Alcoa acquired Reynolds Metals in May 2000 it took over ownership and long-term maintenance of several hundred acres of “red mud” bauxite tailings in San Patricio County. The alumina production plant on La Quinta Ship Channel was originally built by Reynolds in the early 1950s and can produce up to 1.7 million tons of alumina each year. It is now owned by Sherwin Alumina Co, a subsidiary of Glencore International AG.
The Water District’s first wastewater reclamation project has been in operation since 2001 and has proven extremely successful. That project delivers about 700,000 gallons a day of treated wastewater from the City of Aransas Pass treatment plant to the bauxite tailings area.
Stabilized biosolids or sludge produced by the treatment process are transported through the same pipeline and assist the establishment and sustain the vibrance of vegetation on the tailings. This eliminates the need to transport and bury this valuable nutrient-rich material in a municipal waste landfill facility. Alcoa and Sherwin provide the funds to operate and maintain the water reuse system and to pay off the bonds sold to build it. See additional information about that project HERE.
Water reuse projects have the effect of expanding the regional water supply, freeing up river water that can be used to produce drinking water for municipal and industrial purposes.
The Water District won top honors for the first reuse project when it won the statewide American Water Works Association's 2000 Water Conservation and Reuse Award for small utilities. Read the original story HERE.
