The new wastewater treatment plant is designed for an average daily flow of 332,000 gallons and provides nutrient removal to meet effluent requirements of 3.0 mg/l total nitrogen and 0.3 mg/l total phosphorus. The former facility did not provide nutrient removal.

The $7.8-million project’s treatment systems include vortex grit removal, a sequencing batch reactor, denitrification filters, cascade post aeration, UV disinfection and chemical storage and feed systems—including methanol, alum, phosphoric acid and sodium hypochlorite. Reed beds are used for sludge treatment/storage.

Directional drilling of the plant effluent was required to avoid disturbing areas of archaeological significance that needed to be protected. The project also incurred some unforeseen site conditions, including drainage pipes installed by farmers and a large burn pit that had to be removed. Local resources were used to minimize costs, allowing the town of Greensboro, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, to include value-added improvements and stay within the overall project budget.

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