The challenge
Since 1972, the nation's first and longest-running public-private partnership for municipal wastewater services has chalked up numerous awards, contract extensions, and millions of dollars in savings for residents.
The project challenges are:
- A range of operational and compliance problems at Burlingame's wastewater treatment plant embarrassed city officials, who turned to Veolia North America in 1972.
- Under its groundbreaking operate/maintain/manage (O&M) contract, Veolia assumed responsibility for the city's wastewater treatment facilities that currently include a 5.5-MGD activated sludge treatment plant, a lift station, landfill gas collection and treatment, a stormwater pollution prevention program, 475-dtpy biosolids land application and new co-generation power system. The partnership remains strong today.
The solution
Innovative solutions:
- Implement focused O&M approaches and process control programs.
- Assign a core group of experienced supervisors to solve the plant's problems.
- Work closely with the city and its design engineer on a plant expansion to maintain effluent quality and control costs.
- Manage and support $25 million in capital improvements over the decades-long partnership.
- Provide design review and oversight for multi-million dollars in capital improvements.
- Partner with city and energy provider to deliver a new co-generation power system that creates electricity onsite by using methane gas naturally produced by the wastewater treatment process.
Benefits for our clients
Results:
- Received consistent contract renewals over the four-decade partnership.
- Reduced plant power costs approximately $100,000 annually through cogeneration of electricity.
- Garnered Outstanding Achievement Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors and National Council for Public-Private Partnership's award.
- Recognized with Safety-Program-of-the-Year Award from California Water Environment Association.
- Won Small Plant Safety Award for seven consecutive years.
- Earned Plant Safety Award from California Water Environment Association and George W. Burke, Jr. Facility Safety Award from Water Environment Association — numerous times.
- Recipient of the Operating Excellence, First Place for Best Small Municipal Project in 2011.