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