Effective January 14, 2021, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will mandate that all new permitted utility installations meet Digital As-Constructed Requirements (DAC) in accordance with the Utility Accommodation Code Rule 3.3.4.6.2. New requirements under State Highway Accommodation Code, 2 CCR 601-18, Rule 3.3.4.6.2 Digital As-Constructed Requirements, Plan and Profile 3.3.4.3 mandate uniformity in utility mapping, as-builts and plan-and-profile submissions. Utility permits will begin stipulating this requirement soon. Additionally, there are new Plan and Profile requirements for all Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) operations within CDOT’s Right of Way.
But what does this mean?
Essentially, this means that anyone working within CDOT’s Right of Way must perform a digital utility locate survey for any underground utilities – commonly known as Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE). The survey must be submitted using their chosen software.
What is SUE?
SUE is an engineering practice used to obtain reliable underground utility information. Accurate and successful SUE practices benefit contractors, transportation departments and utility companies by limited the need for unnecessary utility relocations, avoiding unexpected conflicts and enhancing safety.
How do I do this digitally?
You combine the right tools with the right expertise. The digital world of 3D modeling can be intimidating, but a digital approach is actually more accurate, efficient and safe. Using mobile mapping software, utilities can be captured, recorded and displayed precisely accurately and seamlessly.
Learn more about our complete Pipeline services or Utility Mapping and how to prepare for upcoming requirements.
Nate Osterberg has over 12 years of experience in the utility industry and specializes in utility inspection for WSB’s Pipeline group. Nate’s expertise lies in managing inspection staff technology implementation, scheduling and quality control in addition to CFR 192/195 inspection, damage prevention and GIS-based web mapping.
Organizations have been using GIS to manage utility assets for years. Historically, GIS has been utilized as a system-of-record for mapping and asset management within organizations tasked with managing utilities, pipeline and telecommunications. It’s not only important to know the where and what of your utility assets, but also their condition and how they relate to each other.
GIS has evolved into a system of engagement that creates easy access to your organization’s data and the ability to integrate it with asset management systems through the web. This provides organizations systems for recording that encourages easy access to data and data sharing. As GIS continuously advances, so does its ability to manage your utility infrastructure. The release of ESRI’s Utility Network provides a new fundamental approach to utility management; a smarter, faster, and more accurate way model your system.
The Utility Network gives organizations a full platform to manage their system that is based on industries like water, electric and natural gas. ESRI has created data models that simplify the data structure and provide a foundational platform for companies to start with.
These data models will:
Organize utility information into a cleaner and better structured database.
Provide a solid foundation and allow for customization to better meet the needs of each organization.
Give users a streamlined editing experience that extends beyond normal desktop applications and into mobile and web applications.
Quality data entry is key when editing an organization’s GIS database. The Utility Network focuses on data quality through enforcement of industry standard rules and allows organizations to set requirements for how data is entered and edited. These requirements are fully customizable to meet the needs of each individual client and give more control over data ensuring that quality information is being entered.
In addition to new data models, the Utility Network offers new features and functionality. Users can now view and interact with data in ways that resembles reality including new data concepts such as assemblies, containers, and associations. In earlier systems, GIS assets had to be snapped on top of each other to enforce connectivity. Now, assets can be spread apart and shown in a more logical and easier-to-view way while maintaining connectivity. These new formats allow building a GIS system that is more flexible, connected, and easier to understand.
Performing analysis of utility systems is nothing new to organizations, but with the Utility Network it has been greatly expanded. New tracing tools allow for more specific analysis; users can experience greater understanding of how their system works and improve decision making. These tools were built for the ArcGIS Pro environment, users can expect quicker responsiveness and greater data processing capabilities.
Preparedness is an important step to getting ready to migrate to the Utility Network.
It’s about more than simply preparing the data but ensuring the appropriate system architecture in place to allow for a smooth transition.
Confirm the existing GIS systems will accept these new data formats.
Become familiar with ArcGIS Pro, this new system was built specifically for it.
Since this is ESRI’s model for the next 15+ years it is important to start preparing now, proceeding with care will help ensure a successful transition. Navigating to the new Utility Network does not have to be a daunting process. Experts at WSB help by creating road maps to facilitate the smoothest possible transition into the future of utility management.
Alex Johnson is a GIS professional specializing in the ESRI’s ArcGIS Platform, database management, ESRI’s Collector & Survey123, and administrating web and feature services. He has created web mapping applications, developed database schemas for utilities, and converted numerous data formats into GIS for utilities and local government.
Preparing for and planning staffing support and resources at the local level is crucial to ensuring that the needs of the community are met, and statutory timelines adhered to. Sometimes, internal team members do not have the capacity to handle all the workload. Busy seasons, staff turnover, leaves of absence and unexpected challenges or needs arise that can throw a wrench in original staff and workload plans. In these instances, a consulting partner can be helpful to maintaining a high level of service while staying within budget and resource constraints. Here are four reasons to consider professional consultants to help augment your staff’s capacity:
Scalable
Unlike a full-time staffer, a consultant can be there for you as much or as little as you need. This gives you the ability to scale the level of service depending on your busy times or when your staff are unavailable. A consulting team can quickly adapt to your workload.
Cost-effective
Consultants offer many different pricing structures that can range from stable monthly retainers to on-call hourly services. One of the strengths of a consulting partner is the range of expertise levels. Matching expertise with the level of skill needed allows for flexibility in budgets. In addition, an outside consultant can also present other options for partners or creative resources that weren’t initially considered.
Team approach
A team approach means that you have access to the expertise and resources of an entire consulting firm when issues or challenges arise. When partnerships are formed between public and private entities, you are hiring a team and not just an individual. There is always someone with the necessary experience when a question needs an answer, a problem needs to be solved or an application needs to be completed.
Always available
With a consultant comes a deep bench of expertise. When someone isn’t available, you can rest assured that there is always someone available to attend meetings, field questions and review information in the event of a vacation or illness.
People often associate consultants with unnecessary expenses, but there are many cost-effective and creative ways that a consultant can actually reduce costs and help stretch budgets.
Conclusion
At WSB, we pride ourselves on having a team of expert staff dedicated to keeping communities running smoothly. Many of our team members have served in the public sector as City Engineers, Planners, Transportation Engineers, Directors of Public Works, among other public sector roles. Therefore, we know firsthand the challenges and opportunities local leaders experience. By leveraging our comprehensive expertise and deep understanding of the public sector, WSB stands ready to support your community’s needs efficiently and effectively.
During long winter months, managing and improving infrastructure that is affected by snowfall becomes a top priority. Snow, combined with wind, creates dangerous conditions. Meteorologists have a system that predicts snowfall events and wind patterns, but many people don’t know the science behind snowdrift prevention. To help prevent dangerous driving conditions, engineers model and analyze snow drifts on roadways to determine how they’re impacted by winter weather. Today, snow drift challenges are solved by combining snow drift models with historical data to pin-point snow drift spots and create a more focused solution to mitigate the drift problem.
The benefits of a well-designed ditch
The width and depth of a ditch that borders a roadway can work to a commuter’s advantage and can reduce agency owners’ snowplow maintenance. Well-designed ditches prevent snow from blowing onto a roadway. Historical data and snow drift models help to determine the proper location and size of a ditch. Ditches are designed best when existing topography and right-of-way are both considered to create a well-balanced solution.
Living and structural snow fences
Snow fences became a leading solution to combating snowdrifts and keeping roads open after record snowfall and disastrous blizzards pounded the Midwest in the 1990s. Since then, roads that were often closed due to impassable snowdrifts are now kept open with a little help from nature and modern materials.
There are two types of snow fences – living and structural. A living snow fence is a group of trees or bushes planted strategically to catch drifting snow. The line of trees or shrubs prevents the snow from reaching sections of roads that tend to become blocked during or after storms, creating an effective barrier and increasing driver safety.
When living snow fences aren’t suited for a site, a structural snow fence is another option to consider. This is the preferred method when soil is too compacted, or the area doesn’t allow for shrubbery or trees due to maintenance complications.
The diagram below shows how a snow fence prevents snow from drifting.
Engineers automatically design roads for drainage, but snow should receive the same attention – particularly in states that experience winter weather for half the year. As you navigate your way through winter driving conditions, take notice of what surrounds you. The line of trees or the ditch next to you may just be helping keep the roadway clear.
DJ has been a quality manager and a senior project manager in transportation, both in preliminary and final design, for over 14 years. Prior to joining WSB, DJ was a design engineer and project manager for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and has managed or been part of a wide range of designbid- build transportation projects.
Following the Great Recession, many communities were caught playing catch-up as economic growth ramped up again. As many cities face budget deficits and shortfalls in the coming months due to the pandemic, I wondered if there were cost-effective ways to get cities ready for an economic recovery?
I recently sat down with two WSB leaders to unpack what cities and communities can do in times of economic strain to better position themselves for future growth. As many of us who’ve worked in the public sector for years know, the challenges of today will soon pass, and it’s important to be ready for the future.
BF: In your opinion, what is the number one thing a city can do to better prepare themselves for future economic growth?
BB: Review your zoning. Today, communities need more flexibility within zoning. Future opportunities will not come neatly packaged. For instance, consumers interact with retailers differently every year. If your zoning does not allow for an intermixture of residential, light industrial, small-scale fulfillment, artisan, and commercial you may find yourself losing out to communities that welcome a mashup of different uses. I think we’ll see existing commercial and industrial spaces repurposed and that trend will continue into the foreseeable future.
BF: What lingering effects will COVID-19 have on commercial real estate?
JG: I think it’s obvious that we’ll see significant shifts in the way people use office space. How offices are set-up and the way people work has probably changed forever. I also think preparing for the future of what restaurants will look like is important.
BF: What is one piece of advice you would give cities when working with site selectors or future businesses?
BB: You must move beyond the optics. Some cities can be very selective about the types of businesses and industry they allow, and that approach is outdated. If I told you a shingle factory would be a great addition to your community, I would be laughed out of most city council meetings. But I bet if a community withheld judgment and really investigated it they might find that it could be an asset to the community. Manufacturing has changed. What was once considered ugly and undesirable can now be a modern asset that provides hundreds of jobs and increases the communities tax base.
BF: It’s hard to balance all the moving parts of economic development. What is your advice for cities who want to strengthen their economic development priorities?
JG: Don’t be afraid to look for outside help. There are organizations and professionals who dedicate their careers to economic development and that expertise can be very valuable. The best thing about economic development are the opportunities for collaboration between public, private and nonprofit entities. This combination of expertise can really help bolster a community and prepare them for opportunities down the road.
BF: Equity is a big topic in today’s political and social landscape. How does equity fit into economic growth?
BB: Building equity within a community has multiple aspects. Most communities think only of affordable housing. However, equity requires ownership and opportunity. How does your community increase ownership? How does your development process invite participation among diverse groups? Are minorities encouraged to participate in your economic development process or are they not present? Competitive communities will need to answer these questions if they are to understand their prospects in this new political and social landscape.
BF: Funding seems to be the most common barrier to economic development. What would you say to cities that are facing funding issues?
BB: Funding can be challenging, but cities need to be creative. Grants and TIF should not be your only tools. Get creative. Talk to and partner with the private and non-profit sector on creative, community-based and mutually beneficial funding opportunities. Get to know contractors who have insight into the modular building movement and consider how your architectural standards might affect project affordability. Time is money. If modular construction and streamlined approvals can knock six months off a project schedule that is six months of lease payments that can be brought into the project proforma as equity.
BF: How can cities best prepare for potential large expansions in our region?
JG: Get your sites shovel ready! Although there are many definitions of what it means to be shovel ready, following the Site Selector Guild’s definition will help you take your sites to the next level. This will help you be prepared when opportunities arise. As Bob mentions above, time is money. When turnaround time for new projects is shortened, jobs and tax base creation result in better cash flow and performance for the development.
Bart Fischer has over two decades of experience in public administration. Throughout his tenure, he’s worked in five Minnesota communities as the city or assistant city administrator. Bart joined our firm in 2019 as a senior public administrator and focuses on lending his public service expertise to our clients.
A Principal at WSB, Bob leads WSB’s Land Development Services. Over his 26-year career, Bob has worked for both public and private sector clients, beginning as a water resources engineer and evolving into his current land development role. Bob’s current interest – and a focus for WSB’s Land Development Group – is sustainable redevelopment within urban communities.
Jim has over 25 years of experience in economic development, including both redevelopment and greenfield development projects. Most recently, Jim was the State of Minnesota’s Business Development Representative for the Twin Cities metro area, responsible for attracting new businesses to the State and assisting businesses in expanding their current locations. In addition, he managed the State’s Shovel Ready Certification Program which prepares a community for projects that are interested in locating or expanding in their community.
4D/5D modeling is intended to improve the accuracy and efficiency of projects. It has applications throughout the project life-cycle, from preliminary design to project close-out with the contractor. Learn more about some of the ways incorporating into your project and improve your projects overall success.
4D models help mitigate project risk by visualizing project conflicts that are not easily identified in traditional Gantt style bar charts. A 3D model linked to a project schedule provides the project team the opportunity to identify and mitigate project staging, utility, and discipline conflicts by providing a visual of how construction will play out as a function of time. It also provides a visual of project opportunities, allowing the project team to reschedule activities that may be better sequenced to reduce construction delays and cost, as well as redesign the 3D model to include missing design elements that would otherwise delay construction. Project time and cost savings are the direct result of using the 4D model to identify and mitigate project risks early on in construction.
The 4D/5D models provide a level of transparency that encourages coordination between project team members, creating team accountability through clear vision of project construction. The 4D/5D model is used to bring project conflicts to the surface and create the opportunity for project team members (owner, contractor, engineer, and project stakeholders) to resolve challenges in a collaborative environment.
4D/5D modeling enhances project coordination by allowing new project team members and stakeholders be brought up to speed quickly on the design and staging of the project. This greatly enhances project communication relative to the use of a traditional Gantt style activity chart. It also provides the opportunity for developing staff to become familiar with a project that may, historically, have been easier for a more senior staff member to visualize. The 4D/5D model allows the project team to develop and review a safety plan visually and highlight construction activities where accidents and risks can be reduced prior to the activity occurring on the project.
By incorporating 4D/5D modeling, your projects will run more smoothly and efficiently. It allows you to mitigate risk though the application of a timeline to the overall plan creating greater vision and improve efficiency by encouraging team work and increasing overall project vision. Contact us for more information how modeling can be applied to your projects.
Kelsey, a graduate engineer with WSB, successfully balances the needs of different modal users, property owners, and environmental constraints. She is known for her attention to detail and innovative solutions to complex designs.
Welcome to Q4! Over the past year, I’ve been writing quarterly updates that offer advice for public professionals – what to watch out for, plan for and anticipate. This update is slightly different. My past articles have largely focused on ways you can serve your community and your residents. However, the end of the year is always a great time to reflect on how you can better yourself, which in turn makes you better able to effectively serve your communities. It goes without saying that 2020 has been a year with unprecedented challenges and unknowns. As public administrators, we are often on the front lines of managing challenges as we do our best to provide some form of stability and certainty in our organizations, professional lives and personal lives. We are often looked to as the problem solvers and are the people others rely on for help, direction and support.
This responsibility provides professional meaning and value, we are always up for that challenge. However, it leads to a question: are we taking care of ourselves too? International City/County Managers Association (ICMA) Executive Director Marc Ott recently wrote in his blog about this very topic. While we are prone to putting our energy and passion into helping others, there is a real danger in not helping and taking care of ourselves. Sometimes it may seem counterintuitive; however, if we aren’t attending to our needs, health and emotional well-being, we often are less effective at helping others.
As we move into the 4th quarter of 2020, let’s look at five ways we can take care of ourselves.
Maintaining, Building and Expanding a Support System
Let’s face it, we need others to help us through the tough times. Now is not the time to isolate yourself from those that can, and are willing to, help you. I have seen it in myself as well as my family. It’s almost easier to “hole up” and self-isolate during these times of social distancing. This is actually the time we need to utilize, build, and expand our support system both professionally and personally.
Take the time to reach out to and attend professional networking opportunities, even if they are virtual. If you do not have a close network of peers that you can go to in times of crisis, consider starting such a group.
On a more personal level, take the time to be with family and friends. It may look different this year, but as the holiday season approaches, take the opportunity to safely gather with family and friends. Focus on those relationships that give you energy and that truly matter in your life.
Focus on What You Can Control
As we have been working together to meet the challenges and unknowns of 2020 at WSB, our COO Jon Chiglo has continued to remind us to, “Focus on what you can control.” There will be many things that will demand attention, worry and concern from us. Often, these are the things we cannot control. Seeking to focus on what you can control, much of which is our attitude and how we respond to situations, will lessen the stress of worrying.
A Healthy Lifestyle
Exercising and eating right are the areas I struggle with the most. I love food and I like the couch! We all have heard the studies that shows how eating right, exercising and getting the proper amount of sleep are excellent for physical and mental health. A couple of practices that I have put into place to help in my struggles are to track my food intake and maintain a calorie counter. I also track my exercise. This tracking allows me to set goals and compare how I am doing month to month. In addition, having an accountability coach is also very motivating. My wife and kids do a great job of keeping me honest in these areas. Finally, since I schedule everything else that I do, I also try to carve out time and schedule sleep into my calendar. I find that a calendar notification going off is more of a motivator than I realized.
Energy Boosting Activities
Just as it is important to be with people that give you energy, it is also important to do those things that give you energy. Carve out that time to do what you love. Again, put it in your calendar and keep that time sacred. For me, it is kayaking, playing board games, and Friday pizza and movie night with my family. Also, meeting friends or extended family on a patio or deck just to catch up and swap stories. Whatever it is for you, make sure you are intentional about creating opportunities to recharge your batteries with activities that boost your energy level.
Interpersonal/Spiritual Introspection
Taking uninterrupted times of solitude and spiritual reflection are also a vital way in which to take care of yourself. No matter how you practice interpersonal or spiritual reflection, you must take the time to do it. It is difficult with family and work schedules tugging at every spare minute; however, taking the time to quietly disconnect for even an hour per week, will pay dividends in your health and productivity.
Our families, friends, colleagues, and communities all rely on us for support and guidance. In order to do that and be our most effective selves, we need to be taking care of ourselves physically and mentally. Remember, you cannot effectively help others without first taking care of yourself.
Bart has been a City Administrator/Manager in the public sector for over 16 years. He is a strategic leader known for relationship development and connecting people around common themes and goals. Bart’s experience lies in leading and creating an organizational culture of collaboration where the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
By Jake Newhall, Project Manager & Pete Willenbring, Vice President, WSB
Approaching winter conditions mean more salt in stormwater systems
Chlorides in our local bodies of water have become a rising concern in recent years. As winter weather approaches and causes icy conditions, our parking lots, roadways and sidewalks are treated with salt to melt snow and ice.
Salt creates safer winter driving conditions, but the environmental impacts of salt use are raising concerns on the long-term effects on fisheries, plant life and surrounding wildlife. The salt used to treat our roadways and pedestrian areas contains chloride that dissolves when mixed with water. This has resulted in increased chloride concentrations in many lakes, streams, and wetlands. The elevated chloride levels are high enough in some cases to cause significant environmental impacts.
Removing chloride from water is possible, but the technology is incredibly expensive, and disposal of the chloride removed is a challenge. The primary way to remove chlorides requires high-tech reverse osmosis filters. This is not unlike the challenges presented in treating ocean water for potable source water.
Monitoring the runoff and impacted surface water bodies in areas where heavy salt application is occurring is allowing us to gain a better understanding of the effects of chlorides on our environment and how communities can manage application rates to balance public and environmental safety.
In recent years, WSB has been working closely with state and local agencies to monitor and track the application, runoff concentrations, and ultimate impacts of chlorides in various locations. The goal is to develop a better methodology to manage the application, potential chloride disposal opportunities, and minimize environmental impacts. Through this research, we’ve been exploring ways to reroute chloride-saturated runoff away from local surface waters and BMPs and protect them from elevated concentrations.
As we continue to monitor and evolve our understand of chlorides, we are developing several initiatives with cities, watersheds, and the Metropolitan Council that will allow us to balance future management strategies, public safety, and environmental impacts of chlorides.
Jake has more than 15 years of engineering experience designing and managing many types of water resources projects, including modeling, planning, design, maintenance programs, and construction. Jake has worked with various municipalities, counties and state agencies to solve challenging water quality and water quantity problems.
Pete is a principal and co-founder of WSB. He is a professional engineer, with over 30 years of experience providing consulting services to over 100 city, county, state, and federal clients. Pete has expertise in most fields of civil engineering, but is widely recognized to have developed special expertise in the fields of water resource and environmental engineering, project management, design, and planning.
By Alison Harwood, Director of Natural Resources, WSB
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is investigating threats to the monarch butterfly. The monarch is being considered to join the list of species registered under the Endangered Species Act. The listing decision is expected to occur in December. If listed, projects and activities that involve impacts to the monarch or their habitat could face delays as a result of required USFWS consultation. To avoid potential delays, transportation and energy groups are enrolling in the Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) program. The CCAA allows transportation and energy groups nationwide to gain protections for certain covered activities by implementing conservation measures to sustain a viable habitat for monarchs, within the right of way on energy and transportation lands. Enrolling in the program can help these groups avoid costly project delays.
Protecting our environment allows us to work with nature, not against it.
The monarch butterfly is a beautiful sight, with its brilliant red-orange wings, black veined exterior and white spotting. However, this attractive pollinator is not something to take for granted. The monarch is a vital species in our planet’s ecosystem and contributes to the environment through pollination and as an important food source for birds, small animals and other insects.
Preserving and monitoring butterfly habitat within right of way segments is a top priority for the CCAA and affiliated members. In Minnesota, any stretch of right of way along the road is commonly identified as habitat; except for urban areas that contain no vegetation. This habitat supports milkweed and a variety of blooming nectar plants that monarchs regularly frequent. Before forming a chrysalis, the monarch caterpillar relies on milkweed as its primary food source. Without it, the larva cannot develop into a butterfly.
Monarch habitats are threatened by activities such as mowing, spraying, or grading. If listed and without proper permitting, any damage to monarch habitat as a result of these activities is in direct violation of the Endangered Species Act. Entities in violation of the Endangered Species Act may be fined and unable to continue their project work until proper permitting has been processed and approved.
Morrison County puts conservation measures in place.
WSB recognizes the importance of maintaining, improving and creating a viable habitat. Our Natural Resources team recently partnered with the Morrison County Highway Department to help them determine which segments of right of way require conservation measures. As part of the conservation study, our environmental scientists will calculate and analyze the total acreage of right of way and provide recommendations on conservation best practices (as indicated per the CCAA) such as guidelines for mowing. The CCAA requires each County transportation group to implement conservation measures on five percent of the total right of way area. An approved list of management practices is covered in the agreement for communities to review.
The CCAA program is open for enrollment until the effective listing date (anticipated as December 2021 or January 2022). Members can apply for the program and receive coverage before the ruling is made. Interested entities can only join the CCAA prior to the listing date.
By maintaining, improving and creating a safe habitat, monarchs will have the environment they need to survive and thrive for generations to come.
Many groundwater sources in the United States have elevated levels of nitrate, which can lead to public drinking water suppliers exceeding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) limit of 10 mg/L. Regularly consuming water with nitrate concentrations above the MCL can reduce the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood; resulting in shortness of breath and possibly fatality in humans. Conventional approaches to treating nitrate include ion exchange or reverse osmosis, both which are effective but generate large quantities of brine salts leading to multiple environmental concerns.
WSB has successfully removed nitrate from the groundwater without generating harmful residuals using biological filtration. Biological filtration removes nitrate through denitrification. Denitrification is the process by which nitrate is removed from the source water by converting it to non-toxic nitrogen gas (78 percent of the air we breathe is comprised of nitrogen). Biological filtration employs conventional filters to clean the source water. However, the filters are populated with naturally occurring microbes that enable the biological conversion of nitrate. Both the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the EPA consider biological denitrification to be an efficient and effective method for treating nitrate in public drinking water supplies, additionally, it significantly reduces the amount of chemicals used and generate significantly fewer residuals. An external carbon source may need to be dosed to promote microbial growth in the filters depending on the type of water to be treated (groundwater or surface water).
Although biological denitrification has been used in wastewater treatment for decades, it has only been effectively used in the United Stated for drinking water treatment in recent years. Therefore, MDH requires a pilot study to be completed prior to implementing this treatment process full-scale. WSB recently completed a biological filtration pilot study for the City of Hastings, Minnesota. Hastings’ water supply is provided by groundwater wells that are open to the Jordan Sandstone Aquifer. The Jordan Aquifer is a shallow and, sometimes vulnerable, aquifer that commonly produces groundwater with significant levels of nitrate. Hasting’s wells produce water nitrate concentrations that range from 6 to 9 mg/L. The city currently has an existing ion exchange water treatment plant that removes the majority of the nitrate before it enters the distribution system. The figure above shows the nitrate removal results obtained during the pilot study. The average influent nitrate concentration during the 12-week pilot study was 6.7 mg/L. WSB’s biological filtration pilot plant consistently reduced the influent nitrate concentrations in Hastings’ well water to below 1.0 mg/L. Several samples had non-detectable levels of nitrate which demonstrated the pilot plant’s capability to remove all nitrate from the City’s raw water. Nitrate removal did not occur immediately as the microbes required a couple of weeks to populate the filters in order to denitrify the water. These microbes are not harmful to humans as they are inactivated using disinfection prior to pumping the water to the distribution system. Nitrite is formed as an intermediary step between nitrate and nitrogen gas. Nitrite causes similar health effects than nitrate, but it is more toxic as its MCL is only 1.0 mg/L. Effluent nitrite concentrations were maintained at zero or near zero during the pilot study.
If your community’s source water has elevated nitrate levels, WSB’s water treatment engineers can work with you to develop a comprehensive pilot protocol, collaborate with state agencies, and conduct a pilot study using WSB’s pilot plant to help you determine if biological filtration can treat most or all of the nitrate in your raw water without generating harmful residuals. For more information, please contact WSB.
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