Date
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Time
4:15 PM - 4:45 PM
Location Name
KICC M108 (Level 1)
Name
Planning and Prioritizing at the Kingsport Treatment Plant
Track
Other/Special Topics
Description

The City of Kingsport (the City) owns and operates the Kingsport Wastewater Treatment Plant. Since its last major upgrade in 2012, the condition of some of the process and electrical equipment has deteriorated and, more importantly, regulations have evolved that impact both the liquid and solids side of the plant. The combination of necessary mechanical upgrades with more expensive and technical requirements to meet future regulatory requirements left the City struggling to identify priorities. The City engaged Barge Design Solutions to prepare a master plan which would catalog the plant needs and prioritize upgrades for future capital planning. Through plant inspection and staff interviews, the condition of each unit process was documented, while a capacity evaluation and regulatory review identified nutrient removal and biosolids management as significant drivers for future plant upgrades and expansions. Alternatives were identified for each projected process that was impacted by condition, capacity or regulation, and the forecasted need for an upgrade was identified. Importantly, processes that relied on functioning support equipment were identified, so that the necessary infrastructure was in place when the needed upgrade was required. Through this process, solutions were identified to ensure short-term and long-term needs were programmed for adequate project funding, that needs were packaged and prioritized according to risk and consequence of failure, and that multiple solutions were identified, when possible, to give the City options when planning to implement a solution. The Master Plan provides a roadmap for the City’s current and future needs that, if updated regularly, will keep the City producing high quality effluent into the future.