Recycling Treated Municipal Wastewater for Industrial Water Use

Section 3
Inventory of Major WWTPs and Potential Industrial Reuse Demands
Craddock Consulting Engineers 3-33
In Association with CDM & James Crook
WWReuseTM1_Sec 3_final.doc
Table 3.15b. WWTPs in the Red River of the North Watershed
Facility Name
Design
Capacity,
mgd
2005 Ann Avg
Flow, mgd
Flow as % of
Design Capacity
Crookston WWTP 1.400 1.117 79.8%
Detroit Lakes WWTP 3.000 1.256 41.9%
East Grand Forks
WWTP 1.400 1.193 85.2%
Fergus Falls WWTP 2.810 1.909 67.9%
Moorhead WWTP 9.000 4.753 52.8%
Thief River Falls
WWTP 2.140 1.447 67.6%
Total 19.750 11.675 59.1%
Source: MPCA, 2005
Industries and Proximity to WWTPs
Of the four municipal WWTPs approaching design capacity, Crookston has the
closest potential industrial reuse customer (Figure 3.15c and Table 3.15c). The
American Crystal Sugar facility is approximately 1 mile from the WWTP. There is also
an American Crystal Sugar facility adjacent to the Moorhead WWTP.
Factors Influencing Potential for Industrial Reuse
Limited ground water supplies occur through much of the Red River Valley. The
majority of this watershed is in Ground Water Area 5, noted for low yielding bed and
buried sand aquifers. The surficial sand aquifers provide the best yields and quality.
However, overpumping of these aquifers can cause the upward flow of poorer quality
ground water from the lower aquifers, known for high total dissolved solids. In
addition, the surficial aquifers have recharge zones that are susceptible to
contamination. The larger communities in the area, such as Moorhead, use both
ground and surface water supplies for their potable water supply. The Buffalo aquifer
water levels were gradually declining until water treatment operations went online to
treat more Red River water. This dual supply approach has been necessary to sustain
the water supply aquifers of this part of the Red River watershed.
Basin planning efforts initiated in the mid-1990s continue to guide the watershed
protection initiatives for the Red River of the North watershed communities.
Ammonia limits imposed in late 1990s led to improvements in the treatment
processes for WWTPs in the watershed. The initiatives of neighboring states and
Canada, which is downstream, will also affect the discharge requirements placed on
WWTPs in this Minnesota watershed.