Wyoming's Encampment commences phase one of sewer lagoon project

(UI) — The sewer lagoon project in Encampment, Wyoming, is currently in its first phase. Despite contractor delays earlier this summer, the project engineer is certain the job will be completed on schedule, KTGA Bigfoot 99 reported.

According to Jon Nelson of North Fork Engineering, the project is divided into two sections. Building a better sewage measuring and treatment system is phase one, according to Nelson.

Nelson told KTGA Bigfoot 99 that the first stage of the project is the installation of a screening device to catch any materials, such wet wipes, before they reach the sewer lagoons. Nelson stated that a recently built headworks facility will contain the screens and measurement apparatus.

The system's water entry and departure points are monitored by the new mechanical screening equipment. Large metal scoops automatically remove the debris when it senses an obstruction.

Phase one, according to Nelson, likewise concentrates on the opposing end of the system. The North Fork engineer claimed to have created a bigger building to house the UV disinfecting lamps for the system.

By destroying the DNA of bacteria and stopping them from multiplying, ultraviolet light kills them. Since the impact is so strong, UV light is frequently used to clean ambulances and hospital emergency rooms.

The water is securely released into the environment after passing through the UV system. Nelson said that in order for the municipality to manually turn a valve that was not visible from the outflow pipe in order to transfer wastewater through the current disinfection system. He said that from within the new UV facility, personnel will be able to automatically activate and reopen the lagoon discharge valves.

The municipality of Encampment received roughly $1.4 million in COVID-related ARPA funding from the State Lands and Investment Board, or SLIB, in October to upgrade the town's outdated wastewater treatment infrastructure. The town's sewage is being channeled into two artificial ponds.

Aeration and specific microorganisms are used in the first lagoon to break down solid materials. The wastewater is then transferred into a second, bigger lagoon where it is stored until it is ready for UV light treatment.

The municipality carefully documents what is entering the lagoon system in order to comply with future Environmental Protection Agency standards. Encampment administrators hired North Fork Engineering of Saratoga to create a more efficient treatment system using the SLIB award.

Bigfoot99 was informed by Nelson that the sewer lagoon project was running late. He stated that construction on the project should have begun early last month by the contractor, American West Construction. Construction didn't start until last week, according to Nelson, but the project wasn't entirely dead in the water.

By the end of October, according to Nelson, the project is expected to be finished. Nelson stated that despite the delayed start, the contractors should complete their work by the scheduled time. Nelson claimed that a lot of resources had been devoted to the project by American West Construction.

By the middle of the next month, he said, the outside of the headworks and UV buildings should be finished. Nelson, though, stated that he is still awaiting the delivery of necessary supplies. He stated that he anticipates the new lagoon sewer system to start up before Halloween.

Nelson stated that he has yet to get a mag meter for the UV treatment facility. Using a mag meter, one can gauge how quickly water passes through the UV disinfection system. Nelson stated that he anticipates receiving the gadget in time to fulfill the completion deadline of October.

Phase one of the project consists of constructing and installing the new machinery in the headworks and UV buildings. Phase two will consist of altering the route that sewage went through the lagoon system.

Nelson stated that when phase two is finished, the municipality may decide to transfer wastewater from the treatment lagoon, or cell one, directly into the UV system.

Another feature of phase two, according to Nelson, would be the placement of rubber barriers in lagoon 1. He added that the baffles would act as a maze to stop untreated waste from moving too fast through the aeration system.

He said that extending the time the sewage spends in Lagoon 1 will provide the helpful bacteria—or bugs, as they're known in the business—more time to break down the solid waste. Although air in the water helps, the majority of the job is done by bacteria, according to him.

Additionally, the municipality is getting ready to meet the EPA's upcoming criteria at the lagoon complex. The system will need to remove nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and other challenging macronutrients from the treated water, according to Nelson. Nelson explained that as the EPA's criteria tighten over time, more complicated solutions would be needed. He asserted that the town's treatment procedure will meet EPA requirements going forward with the enhancements he has planned.

Phase two development is not scheduled to start until a later date.

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