The City of Augusta, Advanced Wastewater Treatment and Alternatives Analysis, 201 Facilities Plan Amendment Engineering Report, Richmond County

The City of Augusta contracted with Zimmerman, Evans and Leopold, Inc. (ZEL) to evaluate its options to achieve compliance with a new NPDES Permit. The permit would require plant modifications for compliance since the present facilities are not capable of meeting the new limits. Because of the particular local conditions and opportunities that exist, a variety of options are available to the City to address (1) the new permit requirements and (2) the requirements of an administrative order issued by the Director of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. This administrative order extends the previous limits for a period of three years to enable the City to bring the plant into compliance. ZEL identified for the City some of these opportunities and options. Among them is the use of constructed wetlands to achieve the level of advanced treatment required. That option appeared very promising in view of the availability and ownership of a large tract of land adjacent to the Messerly Facility. In order to fully investigate that option, ZEL contracted with Normandeau Associates, Inc. (NAI), Environmental Consultants, who in turn requested the assistance of Dr. Donald Hammer, one of the most competent and world renowned authorities in the field of constructed wetlands. Through the graciousness of the Tennessee Valley Authority, Dr. Hammer was able to participate in this project in order to further the understanding of this technology among the scientific community. ZEL investigated and evaluated various routes to transport the plant effluent to the Savannah River. It also evaluated the conventional processes for advanced wastewater treatment available for the targeted contaminants. Also, in order to develop a high level of confidence that the constructed wetland system would be successful, 7FT . identified and addressed all of the issues that could reasonably surface in the decision making process. This information is presented in summary form in this report. Finally, ZEL evaluated the interaction of advanced treatment with a relocated discharge to the Savannah River to ensure that one solution today would not be the system's downfall in the future. Based on the content of this report, the supporting documentation presented by Dr, Hammer and Normandeau Associates, and our archeologist report; it is our recommendation that the City of Augusta proceed to construct a wetland treatment system. This system should be constructed in the "Gracewood Farm" for the further treatment of the effluent from the James B. Messerly WPCP for discharge to Butler Creek. It is further recommended that the system be designed with the flexibility to, at some time in the future as the need arises, direct the effluent from the constructed wetlands to the Savannah River, below the New Savannah Lock and Dam.