The Town of Bargersville, Indiana, currently operates a water system that serves a population of almost 30,000 rural, suburban, and commercial customers. The water system was started in the 1960s to serve the Town of Bargersville, several miles south of the existing water plant. The Town’s proximity to the City of Indianapolis and the future I-69 corridor has made this area one of the fastest growing in the state. Recently, the Town’s existing water treatment plant (WTP), rated at 5 MGD, was operating at its maximum capacity in the summer months when water use (particularly for irrigation) was high, requiring a request for water conservation.

Expansion of the existing site was not feasible, so the Town hired our firm to design new facilities on land the Town purchased near Waverly, Indiana. The design includes a 6 MGD WTP (WTP No. 2) with the ability for future expansion to 12 MGD, three new groundwater wells, four high service pumps, a raw water main on-site, and two 1-million-gallon glass lined clearwells for on-site finished water storage. The new wells were constructed on platforms 3 feet above the 100-year flood elevation, and standby power for the wells is supplied by a portable generator.

WTP No. 2 design uses a fluidized bed reactor process, similar to the existing plant, which incorporates sand to provide removal of the high iron levels and soften the very hard water at a lower operational cost than more traditional softening technologies. When the sand used in the reactor is spent, it is reused as an agricultural lime substitute, which is easier to manage and spread than traditional lime sludge.

In addition to the fluidized bed reactor process, the new plant includes a backwash water reuse system, enabling the facility to minimize the amount of waste generated and conserve energy in the process. A backwash recycle tank is used to store backwash water that is allowed to settle before being returned to the plant for treatment.

The project was funded through the Indiana State Revolving Fund (SRF) program.

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