Throop Treatment Plant Digester Cover Replacement
Location:
Throop Borough
Description:
The Throop wastewater treatment plant utilizes anaerobic digesters to process waste solids generated by the treatment process. The digestion process breaks down the organic material in the sludge and makes it suitable for final disposal either at a sanitary landfill or as a soil supplement and fertilizer for agricultural application. A byproduct of the anaerobic digestion process is methane gas that is used at the plant as a fuel source for heating and also to generate electricity that can be used to supply a portion of the facility’s power requirements. The existing steel covers that floated on the digester tanks were over 45 years old and after having already been refurbished once, were at the end of their service life. In addition, the steel covers had minimal gas holding capacity, which was inefficient for the purpose of utilizing the digester gas as a fuel source. The floating steel covers are being replaced with new inflatable membrane covers that will greatly increase the amount of methane gas that can be stored. This storage capacity will provide a more consistent fuel source for the on-site heat and electrical power generating systems and optimize their operation.
Completed: September 2019
Construction Cost: $1,735,278
