Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / Dec. 18, 1986, edition 1 / Page 12
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Page 12-A?1HK IIKl'NSW1CK HKACOV I hursda; BKl'NSWICK COl'NTY'S new .'I mini Milium plnl water diMrihutinii lint's limit r pressure. | Rural Cor For Mode BY TERRY POPE Butler Koad in northern Brunswick County is no major highway. It is a graveled road that wanders through the woods, providing access to several homes and a $! million water treatment plant. There are chicken yards and sleeping dogs within eyesight of this modern facility. From out of the tall pines the plant rises, with its giant storage tanks and white, concrete buildings that might look more at home in some major metropolitan city than in '.his rural community of Malmo in northwest Brunswick County. Brunswick County Water Treatment Plant 1984 was built in this community out of necessity, for it is adjacent to an unlimited raw water supply, the Cape Fear River. Water is fed to the plant from the Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer Authority's pipeline that takes in water 13 miles away, at I^ock and Dam No. 1 at King's Bluff in Bladen County. Brunswick County is the authority's only customer so far. The pipeline that is capable of supplying up to 45 million gallons of raw water a day comes to an abrupt halt in the woods just beside the treatment plant. When the plant becomes fully operational in I February, it will be capable of producing up to 2-1 I million gallons of treated water a day. from I Iceland to Calabash, a range of 50 miles. Such I mmm I THE NEW PLANT is divided into two sides, each c| day (nigdi. This side's now in operation and is fillel KFNNETH 0. I1KWETT, water plant supervise specLs treatment facilities at the new Malum p I 4 y. l)?*combcr 18. 1986 J , _ ill will begin pumping treated river water in Kebrua nmunity I ?rn Wrrtar rural systems are uncommon, at least in North Carolina. "I don't know of any others that would extend that far in a main line." said Kenneth O. Hewctt. Brunswick County water plant supervisor. "Other rural systems may have more total lines than ours, but maybe not in a main line. It's really not a first for anybody, but it's a first for us." Plant personnel are eager to begin operations. The facility was tested in September at full capacity before it was accepted by the county from the project engineers. Koonce. Noble and Associates of l.umberton. There were no flaws. Hewettsaid. It worked perfectly. Treated water litis actually left the plant via the main line, but only up to the I.eland elevated water tank on L'.S. 74-76. just a few miles away. When the tank is painted and construction is complete, it will be filled with water and tested too, Hewett said. The main trunk line follows U.S. 17 from 1-anvale Koad to Shallotle, then follows N.C 17'J by Ocean Isle and Sunset beaches to Calabash. An extension also trails down N.(. R7 frnir. lt.-l! <unmn to Soulhport. All man lines will not be pressure tested until February, when water will be pumped south for the first time while technicians at the plant watch on computerized monitors in the main control room. ipablc of producing 12 million gallons of water per I with raw surface water undergoing treatment. WmMip:v<i fWitR-^iBiiiHiBWaialgl ?55aPM8!! pes \ in- Groundwater wells supply the eounly's rur hint. source, with treatment at ail older plant on t flfi j L* ??Si6iSia l L_ A PLANT OPERATIONS MANAGER .50 n?.? ret Onrj1 Unas will heart a crew of i:t ry to tost employees when the plant lii*|*ins lull operation. ^ Is Home . C. .~4. ii The computer system is capable of determining g water levels and pressures in tanks and lines throughout the entire water system. For example, if a problem develops in pressure at the llolden Beach water tank, the computer should be able to spot it immediately and would then signal a warning to the technicians. Hewett said he believes the county has just purchased the best deal it could possibly receive in its 59.01 million water treatment facility. The county n will also strive to keep costs down, he said, by U operating the plant during off-peak electrical I periods as much as possible. Once pumped from the river, water flows by gravity alone to the Mahno plant. Safeguards have been installed in Brunswick H County's system m case of electrical outages. The plant itself has back-up generators while diesel ^ powered pumping stations are placed along the trunk lines and at the King's Bluff pumping station. A four-million-gallon grind storage tank is also being constructed at the intersection of N.C. 87 and I'.S. 17. where the main trunk line will divide. One section will carry water toSouthport while the other main line will carry water as far as Calabash. A diesel-powered pumping station is | also located at this storage tank. In case of a power failure, we can still operate A iv," llewett said "We couldn't provide all of the industrial demand, hut we could provide adequate pressure for drinking water." i At tlie plant, sludge, or solid particles from the raw water, settle on the bottom of twin 12-milliongallon treatment tanks. The "sludge blankets" ? are then pumped to adjacent equilizalion fields for filtering. Water that drams from these sludge fields is returned to the treatment tanks. "There is a very, very minute amount of water that noes to waste in this system," llewett said. Chemicals are added to the water while it in the 12-million-gallon treatment tanks. The treated water is then tested in labs at the plant for g bacteria and other pollutants. The plant is actually divided into two sides of equal capability. Kacli side is capable of producing up to 12 million gallons of treated water a day. County commissioners voted in to build a plant capable of producing 21 million gallons a day rather than one that could later In* expanded to reach that capacity. ^ When in full operation, llewett said, the plant 3 will employ l.'l persons working in shifts. The operations manager is Gary Haas, whose office window overlooks the 200-acre site and facility. From there, his is a view of modern technology ;u worn in it rural environment, a tiiiim-million dollar facility set among the back yards of Maliuo residents. V- ? ^5? Itfu. A, ml Hm S3 SB ' n^rflFS1! mil wate r WATKK PLANT TK( IIN1CIAN I)a N.C. 211. Sliallottc, points to display panels in tl S. WICK C0UN11 -* 1 } i1 p*. I jt UK F4.KVATKD WATKK TANK al Inland hears the name ??f this rural later system with distribution lines extending 50 miles to the south. jB | ~ ? m 'rZ S UE33^ gJJJfej ??i w U ____ I _4fcJ ? t=t=3 | A ( O.MI'UTF.KIZKl) MONITOR in Uic main control room displays a map of tin- county, pinpointing reporting stations along the water distribution system. It typifies the high level of technology involved in operating the plant. ? /L ? ? . . . r* 'I?*-? r v * > Pt&tt bkf vld Itourk, of room when* information on water lines and lank 1 lie main eontrol pressures are monitored. i I
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 18, 1986, edition 1
12
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