Prior to its decommissioning, PSI provided all management, tools, supplies, equipment and labor necessary to ensure the Ellsworth Air Force Base (EAFB) Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) was operated, maintained, and repaired in a manner that met federal, state and local regulations, permits and licenses. The operation was conducted in a safe, effective and efficient manner, providing continuous, cost effective treatment of all wastewater. The plant operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and had a design capacity of 1.5 million gallons/day. Influent included domestic wastewater and non-domestic discharges from aircraft maintenance shops and industrial activity adjacent to the airfield, parking ramps and apron. The wastewater treatment plant consisted of a biological treatment system employing the trickling filter process to achieve advanced secondary treatment levels. The plant utilized primary and secondary treatment processes, as well as sludge digestion and de-watering.
Activities performed by PSI employees under this contract included:
- General operation of plant equipment, valves and piping (including quality control program)
- Operation of WWTP laboratory (including process control testing program)
- Quality assurance/quality control sampling, monitoring and lab analyses
- Waste and effluent disposal (compliance with applicable permits including submission of Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMR))
- Preventive maintenance (PM) inspection program (includes performing PM and corrective maintenance, preparing PM reports, and maintaining PM records)
- Housekeeping, cleaning and care of grounds (including janitorial services)
While providing operations and maintenance services for the EAFB WWTP, PSI also provided all management, tools, supplies, equipment, and labor necessary to ensure the successful decommissioning of the plant once all flow from the EAFB was diverted to a completely new wastewater treatment plant, which was constructed by the South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority in 2014. Throughout operations and decommissioning, PSI pressed over 600 tons of sludge, emptied and cleaned two of the three digesters, and decreased the third digester to less than 70% capacity. Activities performed by PSI employees under this contract included:
- Sludge removal and disposal from the anaerobic digesters
- Trucking sludge to landfill in covered loads; checking weight of trucks
- Cleaning the anaerobic digesters
- Cleaning all piping and components in the treatment facility
- Shutting down and cleaning the primary clarifiers
- Shutting down the trickling filter
- Shutting down and cleaning the two secondary clarifiers
- Shutting down and cleaning the chlorine contact chamber
- Shutting down and cleaning the belt press building
- Cleaning all manholes and related piping
- Cleaning all piping and pumps in the pump room
The plant received the South Dakota Department of Environmental and Natural Resources 2012, 2013, and 2014 Operation & Maintenance Wastewater Treatment Plant Award.
