Project number
25078
Organization
UA Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Offering
ENGR498-F2024-S2025
The Arizona Water Association (AWA) hosts a yearly student design competition that tasks students with an engineering analysis and design project related to a water treatment facility. Teams created innovative and cost-effective solutions to meet the competition’s design goals.
This year, the AWA asked teams to propose an expansion plan for the SPA 1 WRF in Surprise, Arizona. The goal was to increase the facility’s treatment capacity from 12.8 million gallons per day to 16.3 million, while maintaining operational efficiency and regulatory compliance. The team evaluated four secondary treatment alternatives for Plants 4 and 5: the modified Ludzack-Ettinger process, a membrane aerated biofilm reactor, a membrane bioreactor (MBR), and the Four-Stage Bardenpho process.
After analyzing these options, the team determined that MBR is the best solution due to its ability to provide superior effluent quality, minimize hydraulic impacts, and maximize treatment capacity within the existing footprint. The MBR system enhances operational reliability and process control while reducing the facility’s overall environmental impact. Additionally, the team’s design includes a recommended construction timeline and an assessment of operational and maintenance costs.
This year, the AWA asked teams to propose an expansion plan for the SPA 1 WRF in Surprise, Arizona. The goal was to increase the facility’s treatment capacity from 12.8 million gallons per day to 16.3 million, while maintaining operational efficiency and regulatory compliance. The team evaluated four secondary treatment alternatives for Plants 4 and 5: the modified Ludzack-Ettinger process, a membrane aerated biofilm reactor, a membrane bioreactor (MBR), and the Four-Stage Bardenpho process.
After analyzing these options, the team determined that MBR is the best solution due to its ability to provide superior effluent quality, minimize hydraulic impacts, and maximize treatment capacity within the existing footprint. The MBR system enhances operational reliability and process control while reducing the facility’s overall environmental impact. Additionally, the team’s design includes a recommended construction timeline and an assessment of operational and maintenance costs.