Are You Repairing Aging Wastewater Infrastructure?

Wastewater treatment is a critical process for all municipalities; yet, equipment often goes without essential upgrades for many years, even when it is expected to handle larger and more challenging waste streams.

Failing to upgrade aging equipment can be detrimental in several ways. First, it increases the risk of water contamination, which in turn impacts public health. It also poses risks to the workers maintaining these facilities, raises energy costs, and can even lead to structural failures that cost far more to repair than the upgrades would have cost to prevent them.

Choosing not to upgrade isn’t a viable option.

Challenges of Repairing Aging Infrastructure

Every wastewater treatment system (WWTS) is different, but the challenges facing them share common themes.

Space Restrictions

Wastewater facilities are generally built to last 50 years or more. However, many designs are built for previous population levels and industrial demands that were lower. That means that today’s managers are dealing with serious space restrictions, leaving them struggling to fit today’s equipment into structures built for less complex treatment processes.

In many highly developed areas, wastewater infrastructure is often located under occupied roads and buildings that simply can’t be disrupted long enough to handle large-scale expansion or repair. When access is possible, there are still high costs associated with excavation, pipe replacement, and restoration.

Budget Constraints

As of 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated a demand for national wastewater infrastructure upgrades of $630 billion over the next 20 years.

Despite the growing demand for investment in wastewater treatment, most municipalities continue to struggle to incorporate these upgrades within their limited budgets. Some states and federal programs have extended loans to certain areas, but projects that don’t generate immediate and visible benefits often get overlooked.

The Need for Modifications

Legacy water treatment systems are often decades or even centuries old, greatly limiting modifications. But that doesn’t stop the demand for upgrades that allow facility managers to:

• Deal with leaking pipes that can lead to extensive erosion or contamination.
• Prevent clogs with grinders and screens to remove difficult debris.
• Increase support for a growing population despite a limited facility footprint.
• Produce higher-quality effluent to meet rising regulations and environmental concerns.
• Boost energy efficiency and increase data gathering and automation opportunities.

Without upgrades, concrete continues to degrade due to abrasion and chemical attacks, and it’s some of the hardest and most costly parts of the facility to replace.

Changing Regulations

Wastewater regulations, whether local, state, or federal, are constantly changing, making it difficult to determine what kind of upgrades are required to meet them. For example, many municipalities are now mandating discharge limits for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), which were once largely overlooked, while other areas focus on E. coli levels and nitrogen that lead to algae growth.

Downtime & Disruptions

Retrofitting legacy systems and repairing aging water infrastructure generally leads to significant disruptions like road closures. Service interruptions can be an issue with upgrades, but they’re also likely to occur if necessary repairs are avoided for too long. The key is balancing well-planned disruptions for maintenance work to minimize unplanned downtime, which leads to customer complaints and quality issues.

How JWC Environmental Can Help

Keeping legacy systems working is a significant undertaking, but JWC Environmental is here to help. We have representatives stationed throughout the United States, which gives us the ability to visit wastewater facilities onsite to perform evaluations. During these evaluations, we’ll identify the limitations and weaknesses of your current infrastructure and recommend equipment upgrades based on needed flow rates and current regulations.

All of our equipment is designed with maximum interoperability in mind, reducing the need to replace everything within your treatment system during an upgrade. We’ll also assist with the installation of the new grinders and screening equipment you choose, and ensure you understand how to operate and maintain them before we leave.

The support doesn’t end there, either. JWC Environmental offers a range of services, including field rebuilds and repairs, technology upgrades, and preventative maintenance programs.

Contact a JWC Environmental representative today to schedule an assessment, or visit our website to learn more about how we’ve helped other facilities upgrade their aging infrastructure.