WRA Receives Grand Award from ACEC National .
WRA was awarded the Grand Award by ACEC National for the Enhanced Nutrient Removal at Back River Water Resource Recovery Facility. WRA's Dale Emerson, Karen Moran, Per Struck and Bill Wagner attended the Engineering Excellence Award Gala in Washington, DC along with Johnnie Hemphill, Lauren Swiecicki, and Gurminder Singh from Baltimore City's Department of Public Works.
This project is one of the largest applications of denitrification technology that has substantially lowered levels of nitrogen and phosphorous discharged into the Chesapeake Bay. The process involved integration of 52 specifically designed denitrification filter cells--among the world's largest--into the existing Back River Water Resources Recovery Plant. Results show the technology reduced the nitrogen and phosphorous load discharged into the Bay by nearly 2 million pounds in the first year of operation. The restoration effort provides an integrated approach to improving water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
