BILLINGS — The Billings Water Reclamation Facility, where wastewater is treated, has won three awards for recent upgrades to make the facility more eco-friendly, energy-efficient and less foul-smelling.
“The awards we’ve won basically are related to how well the engineering design was done, and how well operation staff did through the design and construction because, like I mentioned, it never stops," said Billings Public Works Water Quality Superintendent Louis Engels. "So, that we have to make sure every drop of water is properly treated before it hits the river.”
The project, called the nutrient upgrade project, has been recognized both locally and internationally.
The facility won an American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) grand award in Montana and an ACEC national excellence award.
The treatment facility is also one of two projects in the nation to receive a Water Environment Federation Project Excellence award and is among four US projects to receive an International Federation of Consulting Engineers award of merit.
“(There are) several new processes in order to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from the wastewater,” Engels said.
The treatment plant first started getting upgraded in 2017 and finished in 2020. According to Engels, the updates are more energy-efficient and will save approximately $60,000 a year. One of the energy-efficient updates Engels noted was the way they oxygenate the water to remove nutrients. The facility initially planned to install large paddles to mix the water, but instead found a way to use tubes to inject large bubbles into the water.
The odor from the facility has also been addressed.
“We suck all the foul air out of it,” Engels said. “That’s another important thing that is done here and it’s all done without chemicals.”
The air is now pulled into a bed of wet wood chips, which helps reduce the smell.
The project was initially estimated to cost the city $250 million, but Engels said the team at the reclamation facility innovation to create ways to reuse machines, with the total project price totaling $65 million.
