Alexandria Renew EnterprisesÂŽ
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Alexandria Renew EnterprisesÂŽ
Becoming a Utility Company of the future Through unique practices and a dedicated workforce, Alexandria Renew Enterprises is transforming the way wastewater utilities operate
Written by: Robert Spence Produced by: Tom Venturo >>>
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Alexandria Renew Enterprises® Becoming a Utility Company of the future
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lexandria Renew Enterprises®, also known as AlexRenew, operates one of the most advanced wastewater treatment and water reclamation facilities in the United States. The utility company serves 350,000 people in the City of Alexandria and part of Fairfax County, processing an average of 13.5 billion gallons of wastewater every year. Formerly known as Alexandria Sanitation Authority, the utility
Last year, Alexandria Renew performed 28,000 water quality tests 4
company rebranded itself in 2012 to better reflect its role as a resource recovery center. The company is already an established industry leader by utilizing innovative and sustainable practices and setting the highest standards of performance in wastewater treatment. New approach to operations One of the many ongoing objectives for Alexandria Renew is restoring water quality in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The company has taken a unique approach towards meeting and exceeding standards set by policymakers and regulators who imposed stricter water quality requirements in Virginia and surrounding areas. AlexRenew is in the midst of building and installing modern equipment to meet these regulations. One of the key components is it’s the State-ofthe-Art Nitrogen Upgrade (SANUP) program which utilizes innovative technologies to achieve its nitrogen removal goals. One groundbreaking process, known as deammonification (DEMON) is designed to remove nitrogen
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Alexandria Renew held a brainstorming session with anammox experts to plan implementation of this energy-saving innovation
more efficiently from treated wastewater utilizing anammox bacteria, or red bugs. “Unlike microorganisms we’ve used in the past, which required an immense amount of electricity and methanol to keep them going, these red bugs don’t need any of that,” says Karen Pallansch, CEO of Alexandria Renew Enterprises. “They’ve found a way to break the chemicals down so we can treat wastewater with no energy or chemicals at all -- they actually add energy back into the system.” Although there are currently only 14 installations of DEMON
in Europe, AlexRenew will become one of the first to use this technology in North America. At its current capacity, the company’s sole facility removes 100 percent of nitrogen and close to 90 percent of the phosphorus from dirty water coming into the plant AlexRenew takes the nutrients in the removed solids and converts them into a pathogen-free renewable material called Class A Exceptional Quality Biosolids. This environmentally-friendly product is provided to farmers throughout Virginia as a nutrient-rich fertilizer. The company has installed a pre5
Alexandria Renew Enterprises® Becoming a Utility Company of the future
VCS Denmark tours Alexandria Renew
pasteurization unit to kill bacteria and provide quality products to farmers. “That’s why we went to prepasteurization because that helps to reduce the amount of biosolids that gets created,” says Pallansch. “We’re one of the only organizations in the whole country who utilizes this process.” Culture of unison Alexandria Renew utilizes some of the most groundbreaking and sustainable technologies available. Much of the company’s success, however, can be attributed to its 6
dedicated workforce. The unison of employees committed to preserving the environment and providing a better tomorrow is unparalleled. According to Pallansch, “The one great thing about our business is the ability to walk to the beginning of the plant and see how dirty the water is. Then you can walk to the end of the plant and see how clean it is and say, ‘I had a part in that’. To work at a wastewater plant you really have to have that environmental ambition, and there’s a real tangible visible outcome that comes from working here that everyone can attach to.”
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The 97 staff members play a vital role in not only helping create new sustainable practices, but connecting with the community. “We want to engage with the community to help them understand the economic development and job creations that come from our utilities,� says Pallansch. The company also participates in an array of community programs, providing extensive tours of their facility to public and private schools for educational purposes. One of the big initiatives currently underway at Alexandria Renew is its apprentice programs.
The programs, which are certified by the Department of Labor, include a control systems and electrical course, mechanic program, and operations program. The apprentice programs are intended to target high school and veterans in the community, as well as provide training to all utility facilities in Virginia. Upgrades and plans for the future Originally established in 1952 as the Alexandria Sanitation Authority, AlexRenew’s water reclamation facility has been on a 7
Alexandria Renew Enterprises® Delivering projects using innovative energy and water optimization solutions.
Becoming a Utility Company of the future
CH2M HILL enables you to meet the world’s demand for energy by safely delivering your most challenging programs and complex projects globally and locally. With more than 28,000 professionals in over 200 office locations, we deliver full-service consulting, environmental, program management, engineering, procurement, construction, and operations & maintenance solutions that span the entire energy value chain. To learn more about CH2M HILL, visit: twitter.com/ch2mhill www.ch2mhill.com www.ch2mhillblogs.com/water facebook.com/ch2mhill © 2014 CH2M HILL
Helping protect the Chesapeake Ba watershed is one of Alexandria Ren most important jobs
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course of continuous expansion and improvement. The company has implemented continual upgrades over the years to meet or exceed ongoing environmental requirements and return the cleanest water possible to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. To save on purchased water expenses, AlexRenew uses its reclaimed clean water onsite as much as possible, reusing over 1.4 billion gallons in 2013, saving $2.8 million “What really drives our culture is
being lean, creative, and innovative, while still doing the most effective and efficient business of ensuring dirty water sent to us gets clean,” says Pallansch. One of the more cutting edge initiatives Alexandria Renew is undertaking is its nutrient management facility to better manage the water cleaning process. Utilizing recently acquired land, which used to be an old contaminated landfill, the company is in the process of building an
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STATISTICS
Industry: Wastewater Treatment/Resource Recovery Founded: 1952 as Alexandria Sanitation Authority; Rebranded in 2012 as Alexandria Renew Enterprises®
ay new’s
Headquarters: Alexandria, Virginia Key People/Titles: Karen Pallansch, Chief Executive Officer enormous 18-million gallon holding tank, most of which will be hidden underground. On top of the tank will be a regulation soccer field that will open to the community upon completion in 2015. Adjacent to the tank and soccer field will be a sixstory environmental center that will include parking and a landscaped concrete deck overlooking the soccer field designed for the community’s enjoyment.
Products: Wastewater Treatment and Reclaimed Water, Class A Exceptional Quality Biosolids, Digester Gas (alternative to natural gas) derived from water cleaning process Revenue: $86,123,037 Employees: 97 Website:
www.alexrenew.com
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Alexandria Renew EnterprisesÂŽ 1500 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314 Tel: 703-549-3381 www.alexrenew.com