System Facilities - the HCWSA's sewerage system
Wastewater Treatment Plants. The HCWSA owns and operates the following wastewater treatment plants.
- The Camp Creek facility, constructed in 1974 and improved in 1986, has a rated treatment capacity of 1.5 MGD. This plant was taken offline in 2004 with the addition of the Walnut Creek Facility to the system.
- The Springdale Road facility, constructed in 1994 with a capacity of 1.6 million gallons per day (MGD) treatment capacity was recently expanded to 2.0 MGD. Springdale Road now handles the wastewater that was formerly treated at the Hudson Bridge Road facility, which was decommissioned. In addition, the Little Cotton Indian interceptor to pick up any additional sewage from the Springdale facility, in excess of 2.0 MGD, and transfer it for treatment at the Walnut Creek plant.
- The Bear Creek facility, constructed in 1997, has a rated treatment capacity of .25 MGD currently, but plans are to double this capacity (to .50 MGD). The Bear Creek facility serves the large commercial account at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. In addition, Bear Creek now handles the wastewater treatment that was being processed at the Authority's old Hampton Industrial Park facility.
- The Simpson Mill facility, constructed in 1999, has a rated treatment capacity of .18 MGD, but plans are to carry the wastewater handled here to the new Indian Creek Water Reclamation Facility, which was completed (Phase I) in October, 2001. To do this, the North Indian Creek Interceptor will tie into the Bethlehem Bottoms Interceptor, which will ultimately carry the wastewater handled at Simpson Mill to the new Indian Creek Water Reclamation Facility and adjoining Land Application System.
- The Indian Creek Water Reclamation Facility is one of the newest major projects of the HCWSA. Phase I of the facility, a $12.5 million project, provides the HCWSA with 1.5 MGD of wastewater treatment capacity. In addition, the facility already has the necessary pipes and tanks to accommodate 3.0 MGD. All the Authority will need to do in order to access this additional capacity is install necessary plant equipment. Ultimately, the new Indian Creek facility will have the capability of treating 12 MGD, so the Authority is poised to handle additional consumer demand that is expected through the next decade and beyond.
- The Walnut Creek Water Reclamation Facility has been called "the backbone of the sewerage system" in Henry County. The facility is the largest, most innovative and technically advanced facility of the HCWSA. In addition to offering 4 MGD of wastewater treatment capacity, is providing the Authority with operations flexibility and increased efficiency, as flow from the old Camp Creek plant can now be diverted to the new facility. The Authority has plans now to close the Camp Creek site, which has outlasted its useful wastewater treatment life. Part of the long-term plan of the Authority is to have the ability to accommodate expansion at Walnut Creek, which is equipped to double its capacity in the future if necessary.
The Wastewater Collection System.
The HCWSA wastewater collection and conveyance system consists of 22 wastewater pump stations and approximately 162 miles of collection sewers, which transport primarily sanitary sewage. Approximately 78 percent of the sewer system drains by gravity, and the remainder requires pumping on at least one occasion.
The collection and conveyance system uses a combination of 8-inch to 42-inch sewers. The trunk sewers are made of reinforced concrete pipe and ductile iron pipe, while most of the collector sewers are made of PVC pipe. Approximately 40% of the sewers have been in service for 20 years or more, with the oldest sewers installed approximately 28 years ago. The collection and conveyance system has standby pumps and auxiliary generators for safe operation, even in the event of electrical power outages.
