The City of Rome’s Water Filtration Plant consists of nine pre-engineered (packaged) filtration units in steel tanks, with a total capacity of 18 MGD. When the plant was constructed in 1987, it reportedly saved the City $11 million as compared to a conventional treatment plant. The filter units had aged, corroded, reduced in performance, and required rehabilitation. After 27 years of operation, the City undertook a complete rehabilitation of the packaged filter units.
The Water Filtration Plant now supplies an average of 8 MGD to approximately 35,000 people in the City of Rome and neighboring communities. The $5.2 million plant rehabilitation project included:
• Complete rehabilitation of the nine filters including media and underdrains
• Changed the filter backwash procedure to combined air/water backwash
• Addition of filter-to-waste
• Repainted filter tanks, interior and exterior
• Improved filter access through a common catwalk
• Addition of filter pre-chlorination and backwash chlorination
• New controls for the entire system
In an effort to reduce costs, competition was provided to the project by allowing a non-OEM (original equipment manufacturer) to supply equipment. This was done on the basis that the Non-OEM would be required to provide a performance guarantee. In addition, the City performed some of the work with their own personnel in cooperation with the Contractor.
This 18-month construction project was completed in January 2015, more than $1 million under budget. The rehabilitated filters are consistently exceeding performance goals. The project resulted in improved performance of the filters, reduced maintenance and equipment down-time, and increased longevity of filter system.
