Renovation is continuing at the Becker Wastewater Treatment Facility off Central Avenue.
For the last several weeks and months, contractors from Gridor Construction have been working to make improvements to the industrial side of Becker’s WWTF.
The project, which has been in the works for several years, is designed for the main purpose of accommodating the increased capacity of output from the LPI, Inc. facility. LPI is paying for the majority of the upgrades with the city paying to upgrade their domestic sludge press system.
In general, the work consists of the following items:
• Replace mechanical bar screening equipment in head works building:
• Replace pumps in influent lift station;
• Convert old packed towers to new aerated equalization (EQ) tanks;
• Refurbish slide gates in selector tank;
• Refurbish two existing oxidation ditches;
• Construct two new oxidation ditches;
• Construct one new 50-ft. diameter clarifier with aluminum dome cover;
• Install three new progressive cavity sludge feed pumps while replacing existing pumps;
• Demo existing belt presses and install new rotary fan presses and associated polymer feed system for sludge dewatering;
• Bury process wastewater and non-potable water yard piping;
• bury RCP storm sewer and manholes;
• Plant electrical/control improvements to accommodate new/modified controls.
WWTF Supervisor Dave Pesola said the improvements for the entire site will take about 2-3 years to complete with the bulk of the upgrades done by this fall.
Wenck Associates is assisting the city through the construction phase of the project by providing on-site construction observation, preparing record documents, submitting required documentation to the MPCA and reporting back to council on any milestones or potential issues.
The final projection of costs for the project are at about $7.9 million.
