The North Shore Water Reclamation District (District) provides wastewater services to over 300,000 residents in northern Illinois at three water reclamation facilities and a regional biosolids dryer facility. Future challenges such as aging assets, capacity limitations due to new permit limits, and growing PFAS concerns, prompted the District to take a fresh look at its biosolids management program.
The District is implementing a multi-phase biosolids master plan to address future biosolids challenges. Phase I of this capital improvement project involves a Regional Digestion Facility at Gurnee Water Reclamation Facility. Brown and Caldwell is working closely with the District preparing the preliminary design for new digesters, a dewatering facility, sidestream treatment, and solids receiving and hauling stations. The Phase 1 construction projects are staggered to maximize the usable life of existing equipment and to optimize the District’s capital investments. This alternative is estimated to save the District $2 million in annual O&M costs while enhancing public health, protecting environmental quality of Lake Michigan and local waterways for years to come, and providing economic stability to the District and its ratepayers.