With a growing population, the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury realized it needed more biosolids storage and an expansion of its wastewater treatment plant back in 2005.
Originally, they looked at expanding the plant in a two-step process but quickly realized it was more efficient and economical to plan farther ahead. Their plan involved a storage tank capable of holding 17.400 cubic meters of biosolids. In 2009 they began construction of Plant D at their wastewater treatment facility on what would be the largest domed glass-fused-to-steel wastewater treatment tank in North America.
With help from AECOM and Kenaidan Contracting, Greatario engineered and erected the tank and dome. Construction space was limited – so the small footprint offered by Greatarios’ building process – was a huge benefit. Additionally, this construction method lead to tank completion in only 8 weeks. The new tank rests in a ‘Green Area’, an environmentally sensitive floodplain and was approved by the Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority.
OBJECTIVES
- Increase storage for wastewater treatment plant to meet future population growth
- Construct tank on small footprint – minimize impact on surrounding area
- Keep construction and long-term maintenance costs low
KEY FEATURES
- Largest domed, glass-fused-to-steel wastewater treatment tank in North America
- Expandable if need arises in the future
Self-cleaning since biosolids do not adhere to the glass-lined walls of the tank