MWRA - Clinton Wastewater Treatment Plant

Home

School Program

Doing Business with MWRA

The Clinton Wastewater Treatment Plant
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority

MORE INFORMATION

Current NPDES Pemit (EPA)

Nashua River Watershed Association

The Clinton Wastewater Treatment Plant provides advanced sewage treatment services to the town of Clinton and the Lancaster Sewer District. MWRA assumed formal operational responsibility for the Clinton plant in 1987.

Since then, MWRA has designed and constructed new primary, secondary, and advanced treatment facilities that incorporate rehabilitated portions of the existing plant with new construction.

The new facilities, designed to meet all current and projected NPDES discharge standards, were completed in 1992. A Phosphorus Reduction Facility was completed in 2017, designed to meet discharge standards in the NPDES permit issued in 2017.

CLINTON WTP'S FACILITIES

The plant provides secondary treatment using an activated sludge process in combination with advanced nutrient removal, disinfection and dechlorination.

The major facilities include a headworks, primary settling tanks, digesters, sludge processing, trickling filters, aeration tanks, secondary tanks, and a phosphorus reduction facility. The plant discharges its effluent into the South Nashua River in accordance with the discharge limits of the facility's NPDES permit. Residual materials are pressed and transported to an MWRA owned landfill for disposal. Staff also perform regular monitoring of the landfill site.

CLINTON WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT DETAILS

Click the text in the image below for more details about the treatment plant and its processes.

Aerial of Clinton WTP

Back to top

Clinton Wastewater Treatment Plant Statistics

Influent Receiving Structures
5 Influent lift Pumps	Design Capacity (MGD) Avg - 3.01 MGD, Max - 12 MGD Two submersible pumps (VFD): 3.5 MGD Three screw pumps: Slow speed, (24 rpm): 3.0024 MGD Fast speed, (48 rpm): 6.0048 MGD
2 Parshall Flumes (Lancaster and Clinton)	Throat Dimensions (Clinton Only): Width: 18" Depth: 36" to 45"
Grit and Screenings Removal
1 Bar Rack	Type: Manually cleaned 1 3/4" clear opening
1 Mechanical Bar Screen	Channel width: 30" Channel depth: 64" Incline angle 10O Clear opening: 3/4" Drive motor, (hp/rpm): 2/1800
2 Aerated Grit Chambers	Dimensions (each): -Length: 18' -Width: 19' -Depth: 12.5' -Water Depth: 14' -Peak Capacity: 12 MGD/unit
2 Grit Screw Collectors	Type: Helical Screw Length: 18' Diameter: 12" Screw Speed: 1.043rpm Capacity: 24 (cfh) Motor, (hp/rpm): 1/1750
Primary Treatment Process
4 Primary Clarifiers	Type: Rectangular, chain and flight Basin Dimensions: 82'(L) x 24'(W)x 9'(D) Overflow Rate, gpd / sqft: -Avg. flow, 2.03 MGD: 516 (2 units operating) -Peak hour flow, 12 MGD: 1524 (4 units operating) -Target rate 800-1200 average, 2000 maximum Detention Time, (hours): -Average flow, 2.03 MGD: 3.2 (2 units operating) -Peak hour flow, 12 MGD: 1.1 (4 units operating)
Collector Mechanisms	Type: Straight line, longitudinal and cross collectors, chain and flight 4 Cross-collectors (one per basin) 8 long-collectors (two per basin)
Sludge Collector Drive	Type: Helical spiral bevel gear w/overload clutches and shear pins Drive Motor, hp/rpm: 0.5/1800
8 Scum Troughs	Type: Manually operated, rotating troughs Though width, ft/ section: 12'
Chain and flights	Type: Polyester reinforced fiberglass Long flight speed/spacing: 2 fpm /10' Cross collector speed/spacing: 4 fpm / 5'
Trickling Filters
2 Tricking Filters (existing)	Type: High-rate roughing filter Size, (dia x depth) ft: 60' x 5' Media/material: 3" to 1.5" crushed stone Depth, ft: 5' Volume,: 14,125 cu ft (ea) Rotary Distributors: -Type: 4 arm, primary and secondary -Min./max. flow, MGD (ea): 0.631/2.52 Organic Loading Rate. lb BOD5 / day /1000 cu ft: - Average/max.: 37 / 74
2 Trickling Filters (new)	Type: High-rate roughing filter Size, (dia., x depth) ft: 80' x 5'
Media / Material: 3" to 1.5" crushed stone	Depth, ft: 5' Volume,: 30,150 cu ft (ea)
Rotary Distributors	Type: 4 arm, primary and secondary Min./max. flow, MGD (ea): 1.008 / 5.04
Organic Loading Rate, lb BOD5/day/1000 cu ft:	Average/max.: 65 / 130
Advanced Secondary Treatment
5 Intermediate Lift Pumps	Two submersible pumps and three screw pumps Design capacity (MGD): - Slow speed, (24 rpm): 3.0024 MGD - Fast speed, (48 rpm): 6.0048 MGD
6 Aeration Tanks	Basin dimensions, each: 50'(L)x 50'(W)x 17'(D) Volume (per basin): 317,900 gals Detention time, hrs: - Conventional mode (2 basins): 5.0 hrs. at 2.03 MGD. -Advanced treatment (4 basins):10 hrs. at 2.03 MGD.
3 Clariflocculators	Type: Circular, Rapid sludge return Inside diameter: 80.25' Surface diameter: 73' Sidewater depth: 15.1' Volume (each): 610,200 gals Detention time: 7.2 hrs. @ 2.03 MGD (each) Overflow rate (each): 485 gpd / sq. ft. Speed, rpm: 0.031 rpm
Nitrification at the Clinton Treatment Plant is accomplished in the activated sludge tanks. Nitrogen removal takes place in the activated sludge process at the aeration basins. Nitrogen removal is desirable to reduce nutrient levels to the receiving water thereby inhibiting algae growth and reducing oxygen demand on the river. Nitrification is accomplished by a biological process, which utilized nitrogen as an energy source. Proper conditions must be maintained such as dissolved oxygen supply and pH control to promote microorganism growth.
Phosphorous removal at the Clinton Treatment Plant is accomplished in a Phosphorus Reduction Facility completed in 2017. Ferric chloride and a coagulation polymer are added after the final clarifiers to precipitate phosphates into a filterable solid. Disc filters in the Phosphorus Reduction Facility capture the coagulated material for further sludge processing. Phosphorus removal at the Clinton plant limits the potential for excessive algae growth in the Nashua River due to high nutrient availability.
Dechlorination takes place at the over flow cascade of the chlorine contact chamber. Sodium bisulfite is sprayed by injectors into the effluent stream to remove chlorine residual before going to the receiving stream.
Disinfection
2 Hypochlorite Contact Tanks	Dimensions, ft: 100'(L)x 6'(W)x 14'(D) Total volume: 125,665 gals. Contact time, minutes, (both tanks): -Average (2.03 MGD): 89 mins. -Maximum 24-hrs (8.2 mgd): 22 mins. -Peak hour (12 MGD): 22 mins. -Average usage: 70 gpd of 15% hypochlorite sol.
Dechlorination
1 Sodium Bisulfite Tank	Capacity: 1200 gals. containing 38% Sodium Bisulfite Sol.
1 Bisulfite Diffuser Assembly	Dechlorination process occurs at the diffuser assembly located immediately below the discharge from the hypochlorite contact chambers. Average Usage: 50 gpd of 38% Sodium Bisulfite Sol.
Outfall
1 Parshall Flume	Throat dimensions, in.: -Width: 18" -Depth: 36" to 45"
1 Step Cascade	To increase effluent D.O. level before discharging into South Branch of Nashua River
Residuals Treatment Process
2 Gravity Thickeners	Design hydraulic loading:200 to 500 gpd/sf Design solids loading: - Average: 4.2 lbs/sf/ day - Peak: 8.9 lbs/sf/day Thickened sludge conc. (%TS) range: 3.5 to 5.5 %TS Tank diameter, ft: 49.25' Surface diameter, ft: 45' Sidewater depth, ft: 12'
2 Anaerobic Digesters	Type: Single-stage, Floating and Fixed Covers, gas mixed. Tank size (Fixed Unit), ft: - Diameter: 40' - Max. water Depth: 28' Tank Size (Floating Unit), ft: - Diameter: 40' - Max. water Depth: 28' - Min. water Depth: 26.5' Max. Capacity, gal (combined): 526,100 gals
1 Anaerobic Sludge Holding Tank	Type: Sludge and gas holding, secondary digester, floating cover, gas mixed. Tank size, ft: Diameter: 60' Max. water depth: 25.33' Min. water depth: 20.33' Max. capacity , gal: 474,410 gals
2 Belt Filter Presses	Type: Pressure filtration, dewatering Manufacturer/model: Ashbrook-Simon-Hartley/ Klampress, size III Type 85. Belt width, ft: 7.22' Effective width, ft: 6.5' Total Dewatering area, sq.ft.: 325.34 Belt Length, ft: upper/lower: 51.5' / 53.5' Design sludge feed rate,: gpm @%solids: 50 @ 5% to 80 @ 3% Design polymer consumption,: lbs poly / tons sludge: 8 to 12

Back to top