Client: Mansfield University, Richland Township, Tioga County, PA
Year Completed: 2013
Project Cost: $6,000,000
The Mansfield University water system serves a 3,600-person campus community in northern Pennsylvania. A reservoir located on Corey Creek and two water wells serve as the water supply. A filtration plant, built in 1937, could no longer comply with Safe Drinking Water Act regulations because of numerous process deficiencies. The groundwater wells were designated Groundwater Under the Direct Influence (GUDI) of surface water, thus requiring filtration. Mansfield University turned to GD&F to design a cost effective but technologically advanced treatment facility.
The project included the following elements:
- Extensive pilot testing of membrane filtration, using a Pall Corporation ARIA microfiltration cartridge filter system with a capacity of 288,000 gallons per day
- A microfiltration (MF) system, which is capable of achieving 6-log removal of pathogens (giardia and cryptosporidium), filtration turbidity less than 0.05 NTU and 95% MF system recovery
- The process includes pretreatment chemical conditioning (pre-chlorination, coagulation, oxidation, pH adjustment), two-stage flocculation, sedimentation, microfiltration and finish water chemical addition (post-chlorination, pH adjustment, corrosion inhibitor)
- Control building houses chemical feed and storage systems, mechanical and process piping systems, MF “clean-in-place” chemical cleaning system, hot-water boiler system (for MF make-up cleaning water), control room, waste holding tank, baffled clearwell, disinfection and metering equipment
- Sophisticated computer instrumentation, control and monitoring system for MF operation
- Electrical work, lighting systems, power wiring and standby power generation system
- Two new water storage tanks with capacities of 0.165 MG and 1.0 MG water storage tanks (bolted, stainless steel)
The project was constructed under PA Department of General Services guidelines. Bids received for 4 prime contracts were almost identical to GDF’s estimate for the project. Construction was completed on-time and well under budget. Total change orders on the project amounted to 1.5% of the total construction cost.