Civil Engineering | Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion

For environmental degradation reasons, in the 1980’s the State of North Carolina eliminated the approval of surface discharges in the Chowan River Basin.  Through a creative design involving the continued use of existing facilities and the construction of new treatment facilities and extensive collaboration with State officials, the Town of Ahoskie was the first municipality since the 1980’s to receive permission to discharge to a tributary of the Chowan River. Construction of Ahoskie’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) expansion to 1.6 mgd capacity was substantially complete in June 2011. The WWTP expansion included continued use of the existing land application system at a re-rated capacity of 0.3 mgd, and construction of a new 1.3 mgd biological nutrient removal (BNR) wastewater treatment facility to produce high quality effluent for reclaimed water use and discharge to Ahoskie Creek. This project not only resolved current deficiencies in the town’s wastewater system but prepared the community for providing treatment and reclaimed water to future users while protecting the area’s sensitive environmental resources.