When the Willmar (Minn.) Wastewater TreatmentPlant needed more capacity, better odor control and the ability to meet stricter effluent limits, the city built a new activated sludge plant five miles west of town.
The six-year project, completed in 2010, tested the four operators’ mettle as they ran two plants simultaneously until the new one was online. They also spent three months in classroom training. Along the way they met the challenges of taking part in the planning and design phases, starting up a new laboratory, incrementally taking flow from the old plant to the new over five weeks, and adding seed
