HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-20-20 Public Comment - O. Stein - Support Letter WWIF50 -Joint MSU-DEQ Pilot I
MONTANA November 20,2020
STATE UNIVERSITY CollogD of
Bozeman City Commission
ENGINEERING PO Box 1230
Bozeman,MT 59771
RE: Support for Project WWIF50—Joint MSU/DEQ Pilot
We are pleased to provide this letter of support for project WWIF50 — Joint
MSU/DEQ Pilot which will construct and monitor a series of pilot treatment
wetland systems at the Bozeman Water Reclamation Facility (WRF). The project
is a unique partnership between the City of Bozeman, Montana State University
(MSU) and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) that will
provide the City and other Montana communities, with the information needed to
protect the environment and cost-effectively meet future regulatory requirements.
Bozeman,like most Montana communities,continues to face significant challenges
to keep wastewater treatment facilities in regulatory compliance. Bozeman's WRF
currently produces high-quality effluent. However,increasing flow rates caused by
rapid growth and future discharge limits on nitrogen and phosphorus require that
Bozeman prepare for the future and evaluate additional technologies that can meet
future discharge limits and protect the East Gallatin River.
Treatment wetlands (TW) show great promise for helping Bozeman and other
Montana communities-meet future treatment requirements. TW are defined as
artificial (constructed) wetlands designed specifically for the treatment of
municipal,domestic wastewater. The significant advances in TW design over the
last 20 years have resulted in new (nex-gen) TW technologies that are powerful
tools for addressing statewide wastewater issues. TW systems provide excellent
effluent quality at multiple scales from onsite systems and small municipal systems
to tertiary systems that polish effluent of advanced system such as the Bozeman
WRF.
TW are an effective technology for Montana. In a partnership between MSU
Department of Civil Engineering, DEQ and Bridger Bowl Inc., the first nex-gen
TW system in Montana was constructed in 2013 to treat wastewater generated from
the lower ski lodges. The TW system has been studied continuously since 2013
and has consistently produced excellent results. An MSU-designed TW system has
also been successfully implemented at the Ennis National Fish Hatchery.
The proposed project will evaluate this technology for future application at the
Bozeman WRF and expand application of this promising technology in Montana.
The Bozeman WRF offers the ideal opportunity test the technology over a wide
Civil Engineering 205 Cobleigh Hall range of conditions. The WRF is close to MSU, allowing easy access to
P.O.Box 173900 researchers,and offers a range of concentrations by diversion of flow from different
Bozeman. MT 59717-3900 stages of the treatment process. In a unique partnership between the City of
www.coe.montana.edu/ce Bozeman Engineering Department(City),DEQ and MSU,a series of pilot systems
Tel (406)994-2111
Fax (406)994 6105
Entail ccdcpt0cc.montana.cd❑
Mountains &Minds
is proposed with funding provided equally between the City and DEQ under the
technical direction researchers at MSU with a track record of success.
The project entails the design of series of pilot system options with construction
slated for summer 2021, planting in spring 2022 and monitoring of performance
over a 3-year period (2022-2024) including start-up during plant establishment.
Results will confirm the potential application of TW technology for polishing
current WRF effluent while providing valuable information to DEQ for potential
application to other municipalities. The results from the pilot system will aid in the
evaluation and design of an extremely cost-effective alternative to provide
increased capacity and improved effluent quality of the existing mechanical
systems at the WRF. Furthermore,the project brings together three public entities
in a spirit of cooperation to solve important problems facing Montana.
We encourage the City Commission to support funding of this project.
Respectfully submitted,
Digitally signed by Otto
Otto R. Stein R.Stein
Date:2020.1 1.20
11:43:41 -07'00'
Otto R. Stein
Professor of Civil Engineering
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Craig R. Woolard
Professor and Head Department of Civil Engineering