WEWJA Awards Anaerobic Digester Improvements Project

The Washington-East Washington Joint Authority Board of Directors recently awarded contracts for the Anaerobic Digester Improvements Project, representing approximately $6 million in upgrades to critical treatment infrastructure. The project was awarded to Ferri Contracting Company, Inc. for General Construction and Frankl Electric, Inc. for Electrical Construction.

While wastewater treatment plants are often associated with pipes, pumps, and tanks, the real work is performed by billions of living microorganisms. Every day, these microscopic organisms consume and break down organic materials that arrive at the treatment plant through the sanitary sewer system.

In many ways, wastewater treatment operators are microbial zoologists. Their job is to create and maintain the conditions needed for different groups of microorganisms to grow, stay healthy, and do their work effectively.

Anaerobic digesters are specialized tanks designed to support microorganisms that thrive in warm environments without oxygen. Inside these digesters, the microorganisms consume and stabilize organic solids, reducing waste volume and improving the efficiency of the treatment process.

The Anaerobic Digester Improvements Project will enhance this process by providing a better environment for these microorganisms to thrive. The project includes the installation of new sludge heating systems and upgraded mixing equipment that will help maintain more consistent temperatures throughout the digesters. By creating a warmer and more uniform environment, the microorganisms can work more efficiently, increasing solids treatment capacity and improving overall plant performance.

These improvements will help ensure that the Authority's microscopic workforce continues to operate at its best while improving reliability, efficiency, and long-term sustainability for the communities served by WEWJA.