Metcalf And Eddy Environmental Engineering Design Competition 2004-2005

Metcalf & Eddy | AECOM Environmental Engineering Academic Design Competition 2006-2007

Introduction

The formulation of appropriate environmental engineering solutions requires not only the involvement of environmental engineers, but also engineers from other disciplines (civil, chemical, mechanical, and electrical) as well as scientists (biologists, chemists, ecologists, geologists), economists, sociologists, and political and computer scientists. It is therefore essential that environmental engineering students possess a fundamental knowledge of these broad areas. In addition, it is also essential that the students are provided hands on experiences as part of their environmental engineering curriculum so that they can fully appreciate the challenges and rewards of a fulfilling environmental engineering career.

Objectives

 The Metcalf & Eddy | AECOM Environmental Engineering Design Competition is primarily aimed at exposing students to designing environmental unit processes based on multi-disciplinary environmental engineering principles as a means of supplementing material that they are exposed to via classroom teaching.

 By imparting to the students a glimpse of exciting environmental engineering applications, the competition aims to greatly enhance their overall environmental engineering educational experience.

 The competition also targets development of highly valuable teamwork and project management skills in the students that they will utilize when they go forth into their future career pursuits.

Design Topics

The topics for selection in this year’s design competition are as follows:

1. Develop a biological and/or physical treatment process to cost effectively achieve total phosphorus of 0.1 mg/L and total nitrogen of 3 mg/L for wastewater from predominantly domestic sources. 2. Design of a treatment process for an existing wastewater treatment plant that currently bypasses wet weather flows, adding wet weather treatment to the bypass. Includes a decision process on how much flow gets treated versus expanding the plant. 3. Design of a new wastewater collection and treatment system for a closed community currently using on site septic systems exclusively. Option to continue use of the septic tanks, build a STE

1 collection system, and provide septage treatment facilities at the new decentralized treatment facility should be compared financially with eliminating the septic tanks. 4. Preparation of a technical and cost proposal in response to a Design-Build Request for Proposal (RFP) for a new water treatment facility. The technical requirements will be performance based, and proposals will be evaluated based on project approach, technical quality, and cost. 5. Evaluation of treatment alternatives and design of a reclaimed water treatment, storage and pumping system for distribution through the reclaimed water force main. The reclaimed water is used primarily for landscape irrigation of public access areas, including parks and athletic fields.

Design Approach

The overall design approach is expected to broadly involve the following steps:

 Analysis of developed unit operations/processes applicable to design question.  Operational challenges for full-scale operation – questions such as reactor start-up, stable operation and the like.  Appropriate configuration. For example, attached or suspended growth mode, completely mixed, plug-flow, pre- and post-denitrification (hand calculations, modeling or documented evaluations).  Design calculations and simulations (using generic or specific software packages) to determine sizing and performance and other evaluation criteria (outlined below).  Quantitative sensitivity analysis indicating the response of the chosen process design to variation in inputs and parameters (such as kinetic parameters, temperatures, flow rates).

Design Competition Deliverables

Design Report Project teams are expected to furnish a poster board and a narrative final design report detailing the design calculations and analyses performed. Selection of finalists will be based on the quality of the poster board and narrative.

Final Presentation and Interview The top rated teams from the Design Report review will be invited to participate in a professionally geared interview with a panel of judges from Metcalf & Eddy I AECOM via the web or video. The interview will consist of a 15 minute presentation that highlights the main results of the design effort, followed by a formal discussion between the panel and participants. The overall winner will be selected based on the combined results of the two stages. The winning team will be invited to Metcalf & Eddy I AECOM’s New York City office for a final presentation and award ceremony.

Design Competition Evaluation Criteria

Design Project evaluations will be performed by design experts from Metcalf & Eddy | AECOM. Specifically, the following criteria that revolve around thoroughness and completeness of design will be given the maximum weight.

System Performance and Stability  How well is the system capable of meeting effluent discharge criteria stated above under steady state conditions?  How well is the system capable of meeting the effluent discharge criteria stated above under the impact of several transients such as pH, temperature, inhibition and influent flow and load variability?  Confidence in chosen input parameters, and response to variability in input parameters.

2 Capital and Operating Costs  Based on engineering judgment, how can capital and operating costs be minimized for centrate treatment while at the same time enhancing system performance and stability?  Cost estimates based on equipment vendor databases

Operation Simplicity  How well can the designed systems be operated, controlled and monitored by typical wastewater treatment plant operators?

System Versatility  How does the system handle the target as well as other relevant contaminants of interest?  How does the designed system fit in as an add on to an existing conventional activated sludge system?  How does the system function independently? Can it handle main plant flows and loads partially or wholly?

Design Competition Schedule

Depending upon the course structure in the respective institutions, either of the following tracks can be followed by the participants.

Program Schedule Date TASK August 25, 2006 Design packages and problems are issued

December 29, 2006 Final Design Report and Poster submission for 1st semester participants

March 30, 2007 Final Design Report and Poster submission for two semester participants

Week of April 10, 2007 Final video/web interviews

Week of April 17, 2007 Winner’s final presentation and award ceremony in New York City

Overall Scoring

Overall scoring for the project is divided into components with the following scoring weights.

 Justification for selected technology 20%  Final design report and poster board 50%  Final design presentation and interview 30%

3 Instructions to complete these deliverables will be provided by M&E|AECOM upon receipt of an application to join the competition. Finalists will be determined based on a review of the poster board and narrative final design report. The overall winner will be selected from the finalists based on the interview.

Eligibility  Participating academic institutions should have an instituted design course or a dedicated senior- level Water Quality Engineering course to enable integration with the Metcalf & Eddy | AECOM Environmental Engineering Design Competition.

 Student teams working on this project shall include primarily undergraduate students and each team shall be actively guided a graduate faculty advisor throughout the course of the project.

Awards The first placed team will receive $2,500. Additionally, the winning University liaison will receive $2,500.

Each member of the winning team will receive a copy of the Metcalf & Eddy | AECOM textbook and all participants will receive a certificate of participation in the competition.

Metcalf & Eddy | AECOM will give top priority to participants for upcoming employment opportunities.

The overall award winning project design may be chosen by Metcalf & Eddy | AECOM for further study.

For more information, please contact Roy Tsuchihashi at [email protected]

Information can also be obtained at www.m-e.aecom.com

Metcalf & Eddy | AECOM provides planning, design, construction and operations services for water, wastewater and hazardous waste management facilities and programs. Metcalf & Eddy | AECOM is part of a diversified professional technical services organization with over 24,000 employees worldwide. AECOM is a global leader in the transportation, environmental and facilities markets with projects in more than 60 countries. Named to Forbes magazine’s list of the Top 500 Private Companies, AECOM Technology Corp. is a $2.6 billion corporation.

Further information on the firm is available through its website at www.m-e.aecom.com