Waste Water
RCI has completed a multitude of wastewater system projects including design, bidding assistance, bid award recommendations, construction inspection, construction testing, contract administration, partial pay request approvals, field survey staking, and completion of record drawings.
Municipal Wastewater Systems
Resource Concepts, Inc. has been involved in the design, construction, and rehabilitation of municipal sewer and water systems since 1978. RCI has coordinated and conducted video-inspections and infiltration/inflow studies for sewers to assist clients in establishing rehabilitation priorities. Rehabilitation methods have ranged from the traditional “cut-and-cover” replacement of sewer lines to “no-dig” methods such as slip-lining, pipe bursting, and chemical grouting. RCI has completed rehabilitation projects for the Town of Minden, the Gardnerville Town Water Company, the Indian Hills General Improvement District, and Minden-Gardnerville Sanitation District generally on a yearly basis.
Private Wastewater Systems
RCI has designed numerous engineered septic systems for area residents. Generally, these systems are required in high groundwater areas or in steep, rocky, sloping areas. As a part of this work, RCI has researched all available new technology for pre-manufactured systems and designed numerous systems utilizing combinations of these pre-manufactured systems based on site constraints. Clients have included Golden Bear Homes Contractors, Jarrett Construction, Mark Regan, MicroSepTec, and numerous others.
Minden-Gardnerville Sanitation District (MGSD)
RCI has served as the District Engineer for the Minden-Gardnerville Sanitation District (MGSD) for the past 30 years. The MGSD wastewater treatment system treats an average daily flow of 2.0 mgd. MGSD provides regional sewer service to the Minden and Gardnerville areas of Nevada. The following is a description of the scope and extent of RCI’s wastewater engineering services to MGSD:
Wastewater System Planning: RCI has assisted the District with the planning for collection, conveyance, treatment, and disposal of wastewater for the past 30 years. The District principally serves the unincorporated communities of the Town of Minden, the Town of Gardnerville, and the Gardnerville Ranchos General Improvement District (GRGID). MGSD also maintains the sewer collection system for the Towns of Minden and Gardnerville, while the GRGID maintains the sewer lines within its own District.
General Engineering and Administration Services: RCI assists the District with planning, annual budget, rate studies, operations assistance, and on-call services for minor design and construction activities.
Annual Sewer Maintenance Program: The annual sewer maintenance program consists of contractual cleaning and televising services for the District’s sewer lines. RCI works with the District to prepare the annual scope of work. RCI serves as program manager for the contractual services. The annual televising identifies inflow/infiltration problem areas and defects in sewer lines to be rectified through the sewer rehabilitation program. The annual sewer maintenance program is oriented to comply with the EPA’s proposed CMOM program. The annual program has contributed, at least in part, to having no sewer main blockages over the past five years.
Sewer Rehabilitation Program: The sewer line rehabilitation program consists of identifying and prioritizing the rehabilitation of defects in sanitary sewer lines and collection system appurtenances. Inflow/infiltration, structural, and operational problem areas identified in the annual maintenance program are used to develop the scope of work. This work includes reconstruction and replacement, manhole repairs, and trench-less repairs where surface excavation is not feasible or practical. RCI provides design and construction management services for the program.
Effluent Disposal and Effluent Management Services: RCI has provided a variety of planning, programming, and improvement services to assist the District with effluent management and disposal. RCI is working closely with MGSD, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP), the Nevada Division of Water Resources, Douglas County, and Carson Valley ranchers to develop a viable wastewater reutilization system to meet the long-term wastewater disposal requirements for the District. Through MGSD, RCI has developed effluent management plans for three area ranchers. Working in cooperation with NDEP, RCI is providing revisions in the discharge permit allowing the ranchers to assume responsibility for monitoring and reporting discharges. When complete, the wastewater reuse program will accommodate build-out discharges of approximately 4.5 mgd. The ranchers have participated in cost sharing for improvements to convey the effluent. RCI is also involved in the development and permitting of the bio-solids disposal plan. This involves land application of bio-solids on agricultural lands.
System Expansion and Growth: RCI reviews and approves plans and specifications for all additions, expansions, and extensions to the MGSD sewer system. RCI has assisted the District in developing standards and specifications for sewer collection system improvements. RCI assures that expansions to the system are in compliance with the District’s requirements and specifications. RCI works carefully with developers in the layout of their developments to provide gravity flow sewer collection and conveyance facilities to connect to the existing MGSD sewer system. RCI has played a significant role in coordinating growth with developers to develop a sewer collection system without any lift stations within the portion of the collection and conveyance system maintained by the District.
Wastewater System Expansion / Engineering Oversight Services – Lake Havasu City, Arizona
Resource Concepts, Inc. has been retained by Lake Havasu City in 2006 to provide engineering oversight services for their $463 million dollar Wastewater System Expansion Project. The expansion project involves the design and construction for 8.1 mgd in treatment capacity, 390 miles of sewer mains, 400 miles of sewer laterals, 75 pump stations, 17 miles of force mains, and effluent reuse/disposal facilities. Approximately 25,092 residential septic systems will be abandoned and the residential units will be connected to the sewer expansion system.
Engineering oversight services evaluates project activities and products to assure a quality systems approach is employed during the various phases of the project. RCI examines life-cycle cost considerations for project components to assess the overall quality of the wastewater system’s improvements. RCI evaluates and provides recommendations for project budget, expenditures, and schedules; design and construction of improvements; and unique characteristics affecting Lake Havasu City’s sewer system, such as high temperatures, seasonal activities, and sulfide control.
Indian Hills General Improvement District (IHGID)/Wastewater Engineering
As District Engineer since 1993, Resource Concepts, Inc. has been involved with planning, design, and construction of extensive wastewater collection and treatment projects. These projects have included expanding the existing 0.2 mgd aerated pond treatment system to 0.5 mgd with expanded aeration; adding a 40 acre-foot lined effluent storage pond; installation of a 60 acre land application system with tailwater collection and groundwater monitoring; upgrading the main influent pumping station and 10,000 feet of 10-inch force main to accommodate future flows; and installation of a package lift station to transfer treated effluent to storage. We provided an assessment of alternatives for expansion of the wastewater treatment plant capacity to 1.2 mgd, and assisted the District in selection of a mechanical plant alternative. We acted as District Engineer and project coordinator in the Design/Build completion of a 0.6 mgd Sequential Batch Reactor treatment plant, to replace the aerated lagoon system. We also prepared an Effluent Management Plan, approved by NDEP, for revision of the District’s Groundwater Discharge Permit to allow for 0.6 mgd treatment capacity.