Modernization of the Little River Water Reclamation Facility

About the Program

Category: County Resiliency (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

Fulton County owns and operates five wastewater treatment facilities with a combined permitted capacity to treat approximately 65 million gallons of wastewater per day. As with most municipal wastewater treatment facilities, it is a continuous challenge to provide safe, technologically advanced, environmentally - friendly and cost-effective treatment. In 2011, Fulton County began the design process to expand the Little River Water Reclamation Facility, located in Woodstock, Georgia from 1.0 MGD to 2.6 MGD in order to better serve the anticipated growth in population within the plant’s service area. The need to expand plant capacity combined with more restrictive permitting parameters served as an opportunity to further improve the water quality of the effluent by implementing MBR (membrane bio-reactor) technology. The new technology replaced the previously utilized BardenPho treatment process which had a 30 year proven track record of effectively removing nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater streams. After years of planning, engineering studies and public meetings, construction on the plant expansion began in 2017 and was completed in early 2021. The expansion has resulted in reduced odor emissions, along with reduced pollutant discharges to the river, even at the higher flow capacity.