Sludge Dewatering and Loadout Facility
Client
City of Palo Alto
Location
Palo Alto, CA
This project included the construction of a new Sludge Dewatering and Loadout Facility for the Regional Water Quality Control Plant (RWQCP) in the City of Palo Alto. Project components included the construction of a 10,000 SF building, the replacement of sludge feed pumps, and the installation of a belt filter presses, a new polymer mixing system, conveyors, cake storage and loading, odor control, 12 kV electrical feed and a standby generator. Special inspections included welding, concrete, soil compaction, and high voltage electrical (5 kV). The building structure was designed with a foundation of pier supports in bay mud and landfill conditions.
The new system connected to the existing facility and required close coordination with the contractor and operational staff to minimize interruptions to plant operations, the nearby airport and local businesses due to the required 15 plant shutdown requests. When the switchover between the existing incinerator and new facilities occurred, a sequenced approach allowed the new filter presses, polymer mixing, conveyors and cake storage systems to be operated and tested sufficiently before the entire plant sludge flow to be switched to the new building.
