Anacostia Waste Water Pumping Station Energy Performance Improvements

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission is the 8th largest water and wastewater utility in the nation, serving nearly 1.8 million residents in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. They operate and maintain seven water and wastewater plants, nearly 5,500 miles of fresh water pipeline and more than 5,300 miles of sewer pipeline. In its 90-year history, the drinking water has always met or exceeded federal standards. They are entrusted by the community to provide safe and reliable water, life’s most precious resource, and return clean water to our environment, all in an ethically and financially responsible manner.

As part of the WSSC’s ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility they instituted an Energy Performance Program that requires energy efficient installations at their facilities. A major partner in this endeavor has been Constellation Energy Services who identifies, designs and implements systemic improvements that will achieve substantial energy savings throughout the system.

One step in this process was the Energy Performance Improvement Project at Anacostia Waste Water Pumping Station, one of the 15 pumping stations in the system.

The existing station has six 15MGD constant speed pumps fed from 4160v motor starters. This design-assist project involved the replacement of two of the existing pumps and their associated controllers with 25MGD pumps and variable speed controllers to allow greater maximum flow and also a variable flow rate for low flow periods. The existing station was required to run pumps in large steps (15MGD at a time) via 36” mains that frequently exceeded the necessary flow capacity. The new process control system was designed to allow either or both new pumps to operate at variable flow rates with little input from the plant operators.

Native Sons was selected as the general/electrical contractor for the design-assist project which included purchase of the new pumps and valves, variable speed drives and switchgear. Subcontracts were administered for mechanical piping, painting, concrete and miscellaneous metals.

The facility was kept in operation during the whole conversion process so that sewage flow was not inadvertently diverted into the nearby Anacostia River.

WSSC is the owner, Stan Dabek, Project Manager, 301-206-8000. Constellation Energy Services was the program manager, John Hendrick, Project Manager, 410-907-2051. Native Sons Ltd was the general / electrical contractor, Troy Stratakes, Sr. Project Manager.