Five Mile Creek Water Reclamation Facility
The Five Mile Creek Water Reclamation Facility, formerly called the Five Mile Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, or Five Mile Creek WWTP, is a Jefferson County Sewer System wastewater treatment plant located on Five Mile Creek near the Lassiter Mountain Raceway. It is accessed from Lower Coalburg Road just north of I-22. It serves homes and businesses in Center Point, Fultondale, southern Gardendale, Grayson Valley, Inglenook, Lewisburg, Roebuck, southern Pinson Valley, and Tarrant City.
The plant was completed in 1978. It was recognized as the "Best Operated Plant" by the Alabama Water Pollution Control Association in 1980, 1981, 1982. Following a 1993 upgrade to 20 million gallons per day capacity, it won the same award three more times (1996, 1997 and 1998). The plant also won the "Gold Award" from the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies in 1999 and 2000.
A $52.3 million expansion of the plant was begun in 2005 in order to increase capacity from 20 to 30 million gallons per day (with peak flow capacity increased from 45 to 60 million gallons per day). The work, which included replacing chlorination basins with ultraviolet treatment, along with new computerized controls and sludge drying beds was designed by Harris & Associates architects and Hendon Engineering Associates and constructed by B. L. Harbert International. The new headworks and pumping station required a 50-foot-deep excavation using low-charge explosives.
After completion, the projected capacity of the plant was never achieved. In 2008 flaws in the engineering design were discovered, including undersized pipes. In 2009 work was begun to add an intermediate pump station which should correct the problem. Jefferson County is considering a lawsuit against Hendon, which is no longer in business.
References
- Taulbee, Chip (April 2006) "High-tech treatments: Water, wastewater facilities use technology to do more with less." Louisiana Contractor
- Wright, Barnett (April 25, 2010) "Flawed sewer plant can treat only half its designed limit, Jefferson County officials say." The Birmingham News
External links
- Five Mile Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant at jeffco.jccal.org
- Five Mile Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements at blharbert.com