The city of Brevard in North Carolina will spend up to $143 million to make critical improvements to its wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Currently in the design phase, construction is expected to begin in 2026.
The WWTP Renovation and Expansion project is a pivotal effort to ensure all residential and commercial customers are effectively protected and have access to clean water. Currently, the plant is designed to process 2.5 million gallons per day (gpd) but currently treats around 1.6 million gpd. However, as demand grows and aging technologies impact its efficacy, the plant has begun running into barriers limiting its ability to maintain compliance and thoroughly treat all materials.
The city will implement a three-phase approach to bring the plant up to code and ensure it is capable of handling a continuously increasing treatment load. Once the project concludes, the WWTP is projected to have a 4 million gpd capacity.
Phase 1 will retain the plant’s current 2.5 million gpd capacity while prioritizing various component improvements and updates. These include installing influent screening, grit removal and a pump station. The city will install new primary filters to handle wet weather flows and ensure the plant will have the tools needed to achieve its 2.5 million gpd treatment capacity. Additional work will include upgrading the equalization basin with mixing and piping modifications.
The second phase will build on the first to bring the WWTP to 3 million gpd. Plans include converting the pump station installed in Phase 1 to an influent pump station. The city will also install a biological treatment process, upgrade the solids handling facilities and disinfection system, convert the equalization basin to a digester and convert a separate digester to a post equalization basin.
The final phase will complete the plant’s expansion to 4 million gpd. The project vision calls for installing new pumps in the newly converted influent pump station and to expand the biological treatment process installed during the second phase.
Due to the project’s scale and high price tag, the Brevard City Council granted approval to apply for up to $5 million from the State Revolving Fund for the first of the project’s three phases during its Sept. 15 meeting. A second application will be submitted to support Phase 2 design services if the first application is rejected.
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