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Hanover Water Facility Design Wins Engineering Excellence Award

Wright-Pierce earned an Engineering Excellence Award from The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of New Hampshire for the design of a new water treatment facility in Hanover, New Hampshire.

The winning design incorporates an innovative microfiltration membrane process that reduces the necessary use of chemicals during the treatment process, and maximizes use of a limited water supply by recycling 98% of backwash water to clean the membranes. It is the first membrane treatment facility in northern New England to treat surface water.

The Hanover Water Works Company (HWWCo), a private water company regulated by the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (PUC), initially hired Wright-Pierce to conduct a study evaluating the company's unfiltered water supply and make recommendations to help guide regulatory compliance of the system that serves approximately 8,500 residential, institutional and commercial users.

A pilot study conducted by Wright-Pierce compared conventional treatment technologies and membrane treatments, revealing that membranes act as a mechanical barrier to many of the contaminants of concern to public water providers. In contrast, conventional water treatment plants depend on chemical reactions or biological activity to achieve the desired finished water quality.

Wright-Pierce engineered the design and oversaw construction of the new $6.2 million membrane microfiltration facility. The facility represents state-of-the-art technology, innovation and cost-efficiency by eliminating the use of chlorine dioxide as a disinfectant and replacing it with chlorine.

Energy saving design features, including low pressure membranes (reduced pumping costs), a heat recovery system, high efficiency motors and the use of variable frequency drives, minimize operational costs. A one million gallon storage tank was also constructed to provide adequate water storage.

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(Left to Right) ACEC National CEO Dave Raymond, Wright-Pierce Senior Vice President Rick Davee, P.E.; ACEC-NH President Mark Zydel; Hanover Public Works Director Peter Kulbacki, P.E.

(Left to Right) Hanover Public Works Director Peter Kulbacki, P.E.; Wright-Pierce Senior Vice President Rick Davee, P.E.; Hanover Water Works Superintendent, John Dumas.