WaterPlants

Water Plants

System History, Overview and Operation

The Atlanta Canal and Water Works Company was begun in 1875, to secure constant and plentiful supply of water for growth and fire protection. The system began with only one pump and one reservoir. Due to rapid growth, the system became inadequate in only ten years. By 1891, the Chattahoochee River was selected as the source for Atlanta’s water by Mayor William Hemphill. (Currently, the Chattahoochee Complex and Hemphill Complex carry these names.) At the close of 1907 approximately 65% of the residents had metered water.

By 1923, a second raw water reservoir was built and Hemphill Treatment Plant capacity was upgraded to 42 mgd by the addition of seven new filters. In 1941, a second upgrade of the plant was necessary to increase the filter rate to 106 mgd. Seven filters were added during the second expansion. Due to the rapid growth and demand of Atlanta’s water system, the final three filters were added in 1987 bringing the filter rate to the current 136.5 mgd total.

The Chattahoochee Treatment Plant was built in 1960 and presently has 13 filters with a total of 64.9 mgd capacity. The Atlanta-Fulton County Treatment Plant was completed during 1991 and expanded in 1998 doubling its capacity.

This steam-powered facility, built in 1893, pumps the finished water from the treatment plant to the distribution system. All finished water from this facility is consumed by the citizens of Atlanta, South Fulton County and Atlanta’s wholesale customers. This facility is scheduled to be replaced by a new energy efficient pump station in 2002.

190 million gallons per day rated pumping capacity
2-30mgd steam - operated turbine pumps
2-40mgd steam - operated turbine pumps
1-50mgd steam - operated turbine pump
4 steam generation boilers: 1-60,000 lbs. per hour; 2-27,000 lbs. per hour; 1-30,000 lbs. per hour.

HEMPHILL COMPLEX

Hemphill Complex Reservoirs:

There are two reservoirs located across the street from one another along Howell Mill Rd near Bishop Street: reservoir number one, with a raw water storage capacity of 180 million gallons; reservoir number two, the larger of the two raw water storage facilities, with a storage capacity of 345 million gallons of water.

Hemphill Treatment Plant:

Located near Howell Mill Road and Northside Drive, this facility processes approximately 65% of all drinking water consumed in the City of Atlanta. The facility uses conventional treatment processes through seventeen (17) filters. This plant is currently in the process of expansion to meet the water demands of the citizens.

136.5 million gallons per day rated filter capacity
1923 plant – 7 newly restored filters with a rated capacity of 41 mgd
1941 plant – 7 newly restored filters with a rated capacity of 63 mgd
1987 plant – 3 Filters with a rated capacity of 32.5 mgd
6 Sedimentation basins with a rated capacity of:
              Nos. 1 & 2 - 4.58 million gallons each
              Nos. 3 & 4 - 2.59 million gallons each
              Nos. 5 & 6 - 4.37 million gallons each

Hemphill Settled Solids:

This facility contains two pressure filters with fifty plates each. This facility is responsible for processing all solid wastes from the treatment plant which is mostly alum sludge collected in the sedimentation basins. The dewatered solids are transported to landfills where they are used as cover material.

Chattahoochee Treatment Plant:

Located on Bolton Road adjacent the R.M.Clayton Wastewater Plant, this facility processes approximately 35% of the drinking water consumed daily in the City of Atlanta. The plant supplies water to the Northside and Adamsville Repump Stations, which transfer water to the Buckhead and South Fulton areas of the system respectively.

64.9 million gallons per day rated filter capacity
1960 plant – 6 wheeler bottom filters with a rated capacity of 5 mgd each
1986 plant – 7 stainless steel bottom filters with a rated capacity of 5mgd each
6 sedimentation basins with a rated capacity of 2mg each
Four finished water electric pumps are used at Chattahoochee Treatment Plant to pump water into the distribution system with the following capacities:
NO. 1 – 43 million gallons per day rated capacity
NO. 2 – 30 million gallons per day rated capacity
NO. 3 – 30 million gallons per day rated capacity
NO. 4 – 36 million gallons per day rated capacity

Chattahoochee Settled Solids:

This facility contains two pressure filters with fifty plates each. This facility is responsible for processing all solid wastes from the treatment plant. The dewatered solids are transported to landfills where they are used as cover material. An alternative Belt-Press unit is currently being utilized at this facility in a pilot study for conversion to the new technology.

Load Control:

Known as the “Nerve Center” of the Atlanta Water System. The staff of technicians monitor the plant flows, tank levels and pressures for all areas, and control the pumping rates throughout the distribution system with state-of-the-art computer systems. All emergency calls from the public for broken water mains, leaking fire hydrants and leaking meters are received by the technicians.

This page is from - http://apps.atlantaga.gov/citydir/water/systemoverview.htm

CHATTAHOOCHEE COMPLEX

River Intake facility: to right

Located on Ridgewood Road in Northwest Atlanta the facility was constructed in the early 1950’s. The location is historically noted for Fort Peachtree and Standing Peachtree.

Chattahoochee Pumping Station:

In 1993, a new facility was built to replace the old steam station. The new electric facility has a rated pumping capacity of 340 million gallons per day, and supplies raw water to the Chattahoochee Treatment Plant and the two Hemphill Reservoirs on Howell Mill Road.