The City of Hayward, Calif. is making improvements to its Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) to serve a growing population, rehabilitate aging infrastructure, and improve the quality of purified water released to the San Francisco Bay, according to a press release by engineering services firm Brown and Caldwell.
Hayward is the sixth-largest city in the Bay Area, with over 163,000 residents. The WPCF, originally constructed in 1952, treats an average of 11.3 million gallons per day (MGD) of wastewater before it is pumped to a facility operated by the East Bay Dischargers Authority, where it is dechlorinated and discharged into the bay via a deep-water outfall.
The facility’s improvements plan to meet anticipated nutrient discharge regulations and to accommodate increased wastewater flows tied to Hayward’s forecasted population growth. The city is expected to grow by approximately 33 percent from 2015 to 2050, according to the Association of Bay Area Governments. The project is also a key part of the city’s plan to improve its aging infrastructure.
“As the center of the dynamic Bay Area, Hayward continues to plan for the future, working hard to balance the needs of our growing population with the preservation of open space and an aggressive economic development strategy,” says Alex Ameri, Hayward’s director of public works and utilities. “This important project is critical to protecting the bay while maintaining excellent service to our vibrant communities.”
The city enlisted Brown and Caldwell for preliminary and final design services for the improvements. As prime consultant, the firm will develop solutions to incorporate biological nutrient removal, primarily nitrogen, in the facility’s treatment process to meet nutrient limits for treated effluent discharges to the bay as regulated by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board.
The solutions will help the city be able to accommodate expansion without building new treatment tanks, depending on future needs and evolving regulations. With an eye on climate change impacts, including potential flooding and rising groundwater resulting from sea level rise, the upgraded facilities will also be designed to improve resiliency.
The project will sequence its construction activities to minimize operational disruptions during construction. Brown and Caldwell says that it will work closely with WPCF staff to develop a construction sequencing plan to minimize disruptions to plant operations while at the same time maintaining the quality of effluent discharged to the bay.
Brown and Caldwell will also prepare a comprehensive biosolids and renewable energy master plan that considers the impact of the nutrient upgrades on the existing solids handling capacity at the plant and sustainable management of the useful organic material produced in the treatment process. The plan will include resource recovery and beneficial reuse recommendations in alignment with the city’s sustainability goals. Furthermore, the plan will provide a framework to help Hayward comply with Senate Bill 1383, which requires reducing California’s organic waste sent to solid waste landfills by 75 percent by 2025 as part of the state’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“We commend the city for its forward planning and commitment to environmental stewardship,” says Fran Burlingham, Brown and Caldwell’s principal-in-charge. “Our team is honored to help deliver the plant of the future and position Hayward for continued success.”
Final design of the improvements is scheduled for summer 2024, with construction anticipated for completion by spring 2028.
