The HCWSA Sewerage System
The Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) selected the Henry County Water & Sewerage Authority (HCWSA) as the 2009 Collection System of the Year, an award that places the utility atop the list of the very best systems in the state of Georgia. In addition, the Authority's Indian Creek Water Reclamation Facility received the Plant of the Year award from GAWP in 2009 as well. These awards reflect standards of excellence evident at the facilities and within the operations of the HCWSA.
Treatment Facilities
The Springdale Road facility, which was constructed in 1994, has a 2.0-million-gallons-per-day (MGD) treatment capacity. The Springdale facility also has a 13.2 million gallon (MG) treated wastewater holding pond, as well as 2,066 spray heads, which spray treated wastewater onto 185 acres of protected green space, referred to as a land application system (LAS). The Little Cotton Indian interceptor will 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. However, a new addition to the facility is slated to be online sometime in 2009. Once completed, Bear Creek will be able to handle 1.25 MGD of treated wastewater. Bear Creek currently has a 2.4 MG treated wastewater holding pond, which in turn allows the HCWSA to spray treated wastewater on 65 acres, which currently contain 350 spray heads. Once the expansion of the Bear Creek LAS is complete, the facility will have 230 wetted acres, a 2.4 MG and a 14 MG holding pond, for a total of 16.4 MGs, with that treated wastewater land applied through 1,360 spray heads. The Bear Creek facility serves the utility’s largest commercial account – the Atlanta Motor Speedway. In addition, Bear Creek now handles the wastewater treatment that was processed at the Authority's old Hampton Industrial Park facility.
The Indian Creek Water Reclamation Facility came online in November of 2000. Phase I of the facility provides the HCWSA with 1.5 MGD of wastewater treatment capacity. Indian Creek sprays treated wastewater on 213 acres, has an 18 MG treated wastewater holding pond, and 1,329 spray heads. In addition, the facility already has the necessary pipes and tanks to accommodate a 3.0 MGD expansion. All the Authority will need to do to access this additional capacity is install necessary plant equipment. Ultimately, the Indian Creek facility, when built out, 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 sewer operations. It currently offers 4 MGD of wastewater treatment capacity. This capacity will soon double, as construction on an expansion will start in early 2009. Walnut Creek currently sprays treated wastewater on 487 acres, has a 48 MG treated wastewater holding pond, and 4,100 spray heads. Once the next phase of expansion is completed, Walnut Creek will spray irrigate treated wastewater on 1,056 acres, thanks to a 48 MG and a 40 MG holding pond, totaling 88 MGs, where that treated wastewater in turn can be land applied with irrigation via 8,521 spray heads. The Walnut Creek facility also houses the HCWSA laboratory for sewerage system quality control, as well as the Authority’s sewerage system departmental offices.
Collection and Conveyance
The HCWSA wastewater collection and conveyance system consists of 32 wastewater lift stations and approximately 400 miles of collection sewers. The collection and conveyance system uses a range from 8-inch to 42-inch sewer lines. Trunk sewers – the largest lines – are made out of reinforced concrete or ductile iron pipes, while a percentage of the smaller collector sewers are made of PVC pipe.
Approximately one-third of the sewers in the HCWSA system are 20 years old or older, but the Authority has an aggressive capital improvement program for renewal and replacement of assets as needed. The HCWSA collection and conveyance system also has standby pumps and auxiliary generators for safe operation even in the event of emergencies, such as electrical power outages.
All of the Authority’s sewer lines are designed for sanitary sewage, and they are inspected on a rotating basis, annually, meaning every line is tested at least every two years. The HCWSA sewer line inspection process involves visual manhole inspection and closed circuit TV inspections of existing lines. Air testing, TV and visual manhole inspections are conducted on new lines. Trouble spots in the HCWSA sewerage system are identified through flow meters and increased maintenance inspections.
