The City of Grand Rapids (Mich.) Wastewater Treatment Facility has won the Hach “See the BIG Picture Fan Favorite” voting with more than 28,000 votes and will receive $40,000 in Hach equipment to help improve the facility.
Grand Rapids competed against eight other plants for the fan favorite prize. Voting was held online and saw more than 65,000 votes cast between September and November 13. The Grand Rapids plant treats 49 mgd from a collection system that includes more than 1,000 miles of pipe. Obtaining data in a timely manner is critical for optimization of the facility, and that is how the Hach equipment will be used.
The "BIG Picture" contest offered one municipal and one industrial wastewater treatment plant the chance to receive a grand prize of $50,000 in Hach equipment by creating a video or PowerPoint explaining how the equipment could improve the treatment process.
J. McBride, Environmental Engineer at Arkema Inc., winner of the industrial grand prize, observed, “The contest allowed us to creatively harness an opportunity and envision the possibilities that would develop with a BioTector. By enabling continuous monitoring of total organic carbon (TOC) loading throughout the process, variability becomes more manageable, resulting in a more efficient treatment process. Additionally, the contest helped boost morale in a tough economic climate by giving a cross-functional team the chance to experience a unique and entertaining way to improve operations at our plant.”
The contest is designed to help municipal wastewater treatment plants and industrial sites understand the benefits of increasing their nutrient monitoring to optimize their nitrogen and phosphorus removal.
