Folks at SVCW are bursting with pride! Why? We’ve been awarded Plant of the Year by the state’s professional water organization, California Water Environment Association (CWEA).
SVCW previously won the local Santa Clara Valley Section award, which automatically propelled us to the state competition for this esteemed award.
Our staff and management team pulled forces together to complete the application for the state, prepare a presentation for the selection panel interview and answer questions by the selection committee. I believe what really sets SVCW apart is our staff—a team of motivated individuals who have a passion for what they do. Everyone truly buys in to our mission, which is to do everything in the absolute safest manner, from conveying and treating our communities’ wastewater to meeting our permits every single day.
And that’s not all! Other local section awards SVCW was honored to win include:
- Plant Safety Award
- Research Achievement Award
- Engineering Achievement Award
I encourage everyone to take a deeper dive into the awards further in this newsletter.
Thanks for visiting and I hope you all remain safe, healthy, and happy.
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CWEA Names SVCW the Plant of the Year |
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SVCW Wins Four CWEA Awards |
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SVCW wins CWEA's Engineering and Research awards. |
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In addition to the CWEA State Plant of the Year award and the local section Plant Safety Award, the local section of CWEA (Santa Clara Valley Section) recently awarded SVCW with the Engineering Achievement and Research Achievement awards!
CWEA considered these four key factors for both awards when selecting SVCW for top honors.
- Project Benefits: Health, Safety, Cost Effectiveness, Reliability, Efficiency, or Environmental Benefits
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Project Technology: New or Novel, Improvement to Existing Technology, or State-of-the-Art
- Experimental Design and Results: Challenges, Cost, Applicability of Results
- Other: Any Other Unique Aspect of the Project
The Engineering Achievement award recognizes outstanding engineering research by an individual, group, or agency. SVCW won for its Battery Storage project, which featured the installation of Tesla batteries to optimize and take advantage of our onsite power generation. Read about this project here.
For Research Achievement, SVCW was recognized for its work with Stanford University and wastewater treatment process manufacturers on the SAF-MBR research project. Learn more on our website here. |
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CWEA-Santa Clara Valley Section Gives SVCW the Plant Safety Award |
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Protect Our Water with Anti-Pollution Efforts for Earth Day and Beyond |
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Support DEA’s Free Biannual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day April 24 |
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One of the biggest threats to clean water is flushing prescription and over-the-counter drugs down the sink or toilet.
Many people don't realize that when they dispose of unwanted medicines (for humans and pets) this way, it's difficult for wastewater treatment agencies to remove in large amounts. While we can't help what we flush down the toilet through urine or feces, we can control how we dispose of unused medication. By throwing it in the garbage, it can pollute landfills and leach into the water, or stolen and abused by others.
To make it easier and safe to dispose of unwanted medicines, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is hosting its 20th Biannual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at designated locations throughout the country. Locals can use these facilities for free!
Eco-friendly take-back locations for medicines and other potentially harmful items—such as vaping cartridges and devices (with batteries removed)—can be found at www.DEATakeBack.com. Additional safe medicine disposal bin sites can also be found at www.takebackdrugs.org.
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Additional Ways to Prevent Water Pollution |
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Residents and businesses can help us keep our wastewater treatment process run smoothly by supporting these anti-pollution efforts:
F.O.G.
Just as fatty foods can clog our arteries, fats, oils and grease (FOG) released down the drain--whether at home or commercial kitchens--can clog indoor pipes and community sewers. This can cause raw sewage to overflow, potentially harming the environment and damaging property.
For residences, do not pour these items down the drain or toilet. Here are some tips on how to safely dispose of FOG:
- Let FOG items cool in the pan to a safe temperature and then pour or transfer them to a sealed, disposable container and place it in the trash.
- Remove as much FOG from pots, pans and plates prior to washing them in the sink or putting in the dishwasher.
- For washing dishes by hand, run cold water to congeal FOG, making it easier to remove and less likely to build up in plumbing or sewers.
- Dispose of old cosmetics, suntan lotions and other oily or greasy personal products properly, in the trash.
Commercial food facilities can learn more about how to properly handle these items on a larger scale with our FOG Program here.
Storm Drain Runoff Prevention
Many people don't realize that while anything flushed down your home or business drainpipes is treated by wastewater management agencies like SVCW, but anything that makes it into our storm drains goes directly into our waterways without treatment.
That's why it's important to be mindful of harmful items at your business or home that can run into the street and down into the storm drains, such as landscaping or automotive chemicals. Learn more about what to do about it here.
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Every month SVCW shares an insider's glimpse behind the scenes into cool, innovative technologies and processes we're using that are transforming the water treatment industry. |
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Converting Food Waste to Energy |
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SVCW continues its sustainability message for April by sharing another way that we explore innovative solutions for the future.
SVCW collaborated with its sister agency South Bayside Waste Management Authority (SBWMA) on a pilot study project to separate organics, such as food, from its waste stream and co-digesting the material in anaerobic digesters to produce biogas or renewable energy.
How does anaerobic digestion work? This process digests organic matter—such as animal manure, wastewater biosolids, and food waste—in a sealed vessel called a reactor. Complex microbial communities break down (or digest) the waste and produce biogas, which is the primary component of natural gas. The energy in biogas can be used like natural gas to provide heat, generate electricity, and power cooling systems, among other uses. Biogas can also be purified to generate renewable natural gas (RNG). This can be sold and injected into the natural gas distribution systems, compressed and used as vehicle fuel, or processed further to generate alternative transportation fuel, energy products, or other advanced biochemicals and bioproducts.
There are many benefits to using food waste to produce biogas, including:
- Climate Change Mitigation: Food waste in landfills generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Diverting food waste from landfills to wastewater treatment facilities allows for the capture of the methane, which can be used as an energy source. In addition to decreased methane emissions at landfills, there are greenhouse gas emissions reductions due to the energy offsets provided by using an on-site, renewable source of energy.
- Economic Benefits: Wastewater treatment facilities save money by reducing energy costs, due to production of on-site power, and receiving tipping fee for accepting the food waste.
- Diversion Opportunities: Diverting food waste to wastewater treatment facilities is important because it is the second largest category of municipal solid waste (MSW) sent to landfills.
The successful pilot project was the result of a California Energy Commission (CEC) grant and will eventually facilitate diversion of a large source of organic waste for renewable energy generation.
Learn more about innovative clean technologies here.
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We're on track and continuing to make progress on the Regional Environmental Sewer Conveyance Upgrade (RESCU), the rehabilitation and replacement of SVCW's conveyance system. When complete, it will ensure that for many decades to come, SVCW can efficiently, reliably, and safely convey and treat wastewater from its four member agencies. Those include Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, and the West Bay Sanitary District (which serves the cities of Menlo Park, Portola Valley, and portions of Atherton, Woodside, East Palo Alto, and unincorporated areas of San Mateo County). |
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Salus, the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), just entered its last stretch of tunneling while SVCW's contractor partner, Barnard-Bessac Joint Venture (BBJV), prepares for its breakthrough at the Surge-Flow Splitter (SFS) shaft at the Front of Plant project site.
The SFS shaft will receive the TBM at the end of her drive and will then be re-used for wastewater flow management once the Receiving Lift Station (RLS) and tunnel are complete. To prepare for Salus's breakthrough, BBJV is installing jet grout columns – to prevent groundwater entering – and demolishing part of the receiving shaft's wall at the point where Salus will pass through to the receiving shaft.
At the San Carlos Pump Station site, special excavation equipment was used to remove soil from the interior of the recently completed San Carlos Shaft. Air ventilation ducts were installed to provide a well-ventilated space for the workers to perform any work within the shaft.
For more information about the Gravity Pipeline, go here.
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SVCW's contractor partner, Shea Parsons Joint Venture (SPJV), who has been working within the Receiving Lift Station (RLS) shaft over the last few months, just started work on two mezzanine decks. These will allow inspection and maintenance staff to access the shaft above the floor, which is 90 feet below the top of the RLS shaft.
The upper mezzanine (picture left) will be used as a walkway for observing conditions in the shaft while the lower mezzanine will serve as a maintenance platform. The grating and framing work for these mezzanine levels will be enclosed with tour-rated railings installed for increased safety.
SPJV is also installing the shaft elevator for mobilizing staff, small equipment, and tools. This elevator will provide access to the upper and lower mezzanine levels as well as the RLS pumps at the bottom.
For more information about the Front of Plant project, go here.
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Overview of progress at FoP site |
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Pump Station Improvement Project |
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Electrical building construction at the new Redwood City Pump Station |
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SPJV recently completed the electrical building foundation at the new Redwood City Pump Station (RWCPS). This month, SPJV will install rebar and pour concrete for the building while concurrently constructing a foundation slab nearby for the standby generator.
SPJV is also coordinating with PG&E to relocate existing overhead power lines adjacent to the RWCPS site and run as underground conduits.
Meanwhile, construction of the Belmont Gravity Pipeline is underway. This team is using a series of shafts and micro tunneling operations to install a gravity pipeline that will replace the Belmont Pump Station. Next month they will start construction on three of the eight shafts.
For more information about the Pump Station Improvement project, go here.
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