Eagle Mountain, Utah, broke ground Oct. 23 on a major wastewater treatment plant expansion after the rapidly growing city reached its treatment loading limit well below the facility's rated hydraulic capacity.
The existing plant is designed to treat 2.4 million gallons per day (MGD), but reached its biological treatment loading limit at approximately 1.5 MGD. City officials attribute the discrepancy in part to water-efficient fixtures in newer homes and relatively little groundwater infiltration into the sewer system. Together, those conditions produce more concentrated wastewater, increasing the organic load on treatment processes even as overall flows remain relatively low.
The three- to four-year expansion will include new headworks, biological nutrient removal basins, membrane treatment systems, and upgraded solids handling and dewatering facilities. The improvements will support continued residential growth and expand Eagle Mountain's ability to produce reclaimed water for irrigation and other nonpotable uses.