What is Blending?
Blending is an operational strategy for managing high treatment plant flows which occur during major storm events due to infiltration and inflow (I & I) of rainwater into the sewer system. During extreme wet weather events, wastewater becomes a small portion of the total treatment plant flow. Blending protects the treatment plant’s secondary (biological) treatment process from flows that would damage the process and/or exceed its design capacity. During a blending event, all treatment plant flows undergo primary treatment, which consists of screening, grit removal, and chemically-aided removal of solids by settling. Most of the flow then continues on to the secondary treatment process, where dissolved organic material is removed (oxidized) by bacteria and other microorganisms. A portion of the flow is routed around (i.e. bypasses) secondary treatment, and then recombines with the main flow prior to disinfection. When blending, all flows undergo disinfection, and the treatment plant is still required to meet all applicable regulatory limits in its discharge permit.
Blending is used at the LGVSD plant when plant flows (which are typically in the range of 2-4 million gallons per day in the winter) exceed 8 million gallons per day. Blending usually lasts for between 2-8 hours, but can persist for a day or more during extreme storm events. Blending events, including duration and volume, are reported below.
What Can Be Done to Reduce the Need for Blending?
High wet weather flows to the treatment plant occur as a result of rainwater entering the sewer system. Much of this occurs underground in older sewer mains and manholes, which are District-owned, and in sewer laterals, which are privately owned. Property owners have a responsibility to ensure that their sewer laterals are in good working order. Most of the sewer laterals have not been replaced and are very old and leaky. They are a large part of the problem which ultimately increases sewer rates. The District has a Sewer Lateral Assistance program to help property owners finance the replacement of their sewer lateral. Property owners should also make sure that their on-site storm drainage systems (roof, surface, and foundation drains) and swimming pools are not connected to the sewer system. The District has a continuous program for replacing old sewer mains and other sewer infrastructure, funded by a portion of the fees that customers pay to use the sewer system. The District is also in the process of designing improvements to upgrade aging equipment and treatment processes to accommodate higher flows during wet weather events.
Blending Events 2014-2023 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Start | End | Duration (Days) | Volume (Million Gal.) |
3/21/23 17:42 | 3/21/23 21:36 | 0.163 | 2.10 |
3/14/23 7:52 | 3/14/23 20:36 | 0.531 | 8.22 |
3/9/23 17:00 3/10/23 0:00 | 3/9/23 23:59 3/10/23 10:46 | 0.740 | 11.72 |
1/13/23 19:21 | 1/14/23 22:19 | 1.124 | 16.94 |
1/13/23 10:56 | 1/13/23 15:27 | 0.188 | 2.67 |
1/11/23 13:47 | 1/12/23 1:15 | 0.478 | 8.07 |
1/9/23 1:37 | 1/9/23 18:15 | 0,683 | 12.32 |
1/8/23 0:14 | 1/8/23 3:25 | 0.133 | 1.96 |
12/31/22 6;51 12/31/22 11:06 | 12/31/22 6:55 12/31/22 18:01 | 0.267 | 4.896 |
1/10/2022 10:35 | 1/10/2022 10:48 | 0.009 | 0.010 |
1/9/2022 9:53 | 1/9/2022 10.07 | 0.010 | 0.150 |
1/8/2022 11:17 | 1/8/2022 12:04 | 0.033 | 0.092 |
1/7/2022 11:30 | 1/7/2022 11:52 | 0.015 | 0.040 |
1/6/2022 11:42 | 1/6/2022 11:55 | 0.009 | 0.036 |
1/5/2022 8:45 | 1/5/2022 13:33 | 0.20 | 0.309 |
1/4/2022 8:46 | 1/4/2022 13:15 | 0.187 | 0.572 |
1/3/2022 22:07 | 1//3/2022 23:48 | 0.070 | 0.254 |
12/31/2021 9:41 | 12/31/2021 13:36 | 0.163 | 0.664 |
12/30/2021 10:02 | 12/30/2021 19:31 | 0.395 | 1.23 |
12/29/2021 7:44 12/29/2021 2:29 | 12/29/2021 23:29 12/29/2021 4:18 | 0.732 | 4.72 |
12/27/2021 8:32 | 12/27/2021 18:30 | 0.415 | 1.29 |
12/25/2021 9:02 | 12/25/2021 15:35 | 0.273 | 0.637 |
12/24/2021 9:31 | 12/24/2021 10:00 | 0.020 | 0.0036 |
12/23/2021 5:07 | 12/23/2021 16:32 | 0.476 | 2.18 |
12/16/2021 4:24 | 12/16/2021 6:44 | 0.097 | 0.193 |
12/16/2021 0:00 | 12/16/2021 3:10 | 0.132 | 0.359 |
12/15/2021 20:29 | 12/15/2021 23:59 | 0.146 | 0.675 |
12/15/2021 9:25 | 12/15/2021 10:02 | 0.026 | 0.046 |
12/14/2021 6:52 | 12/14/2021 11:58 | 0.213 | 0.614 |
12/14/2021 0:00 | 12/14/2021 6:12 | 0.258 | 0.912 |
12/13/2021 9:32 | 12/13/2021 23:59 | 0.602 | 2.66 |
12/13/2021 0:00 | 12/13/2021 8:49 | 0.367 | 1.11 |
12/12/2021 17:25 | 12/12/2021 23:59 | 0.274 | 0.698 |
10/24/21 11:15 | 10/25/21 12:25 | 1.045 | 17.52 |
1/26/21 23:59 | 1/27/21 01:59 | 0.104 | 1.21 |
12/22/19 11:06 | 12?22/19 12:59 | 0.078 | 0.751 |
12/18/19 13:43 | 12/18/19 16:30 | 0.116 | 1.16 |
12/7/19 24:00 12/7/19 14:26 | 12/7/19 05:02 12/7/19 18:12 | 0.37 | 4.18 |
12/6/19 22:00 | 12/6/19 24:00 | 0.08 | 1.00 |
12/2/19 24:00 | 12/2/19 19:40 | 0.82 | 10.2 |
12/1/19 08:56 | 12/1/19 24:00 | 0.63 | 8.76 |
5/18/2019 21:35 | 5/19/2019 04:15 | 0.088 | 0.815 |
3/6/2019 05:46 | 3/6/2019 14:16 | 0.35 | 3.94 |
3/2/2019 08:49 | 3/2/2019 13:19 | 0.188 | 1.83 |
2/25/2019 20:26 | 2/28/2019 01:33 | 2.21 | 36.4 |
2/16/2019 11:16 | 2/16/2019 12:21 | 0.045 | 0.089 |
2/13/2019 6:06 | 2/15/2019 22:28 | 2.68 | 41 |
2/4/2019 1:47 | 2/4/2019 14:06 | 0.51 | 4.97 |
1/17/2019 7:58 | 1/17/2019 10:14 | 0.094 | 2.82 |
1/16/2019 11:56 | 1/17/2019 03:50 | 0.66 | 8.17 |
1/15/2019 17:22 | 1/15/2019 22:11 | 0.20 | 2.20 |
1/6/2019 11:05 | 1/7/2019 00;40 | 0.55 | 8.730 |
4/7/2018 5:11 | 4/7/2018 6:07 | .035 | .003 |
3/22/2018 4:20 | 3/22/2018 12:17 | .33 | 3.88 |
3/21/2018 7:51 | 3/21/22018 14:40 | 0.28 | 3.34 |
1/8/2018 18:20 | 1/9/2018 03:58 | 0.40 | 5.03 |
4/6/2017 23:25 | 4/8/2017 0:38 | 1.05 | 2.78 |
2/20/2017 3:15 | 2/20/2017 23:59 | 0.86 | 12.53 |
2/17/2017 11:08 | 2/17/2017 22:53 | 0.49 | 5.32 |
2/6/2017 21:34 | 2/9/2017 23:56 | 3.10 | 29.65 |
1/18/2017 15:46 | 1/23/2017 12:53 | 4.88 | 35.56 |
1/7/2017 12:45 | 1/12/2017 16:47 | 5.17 | 45.18 |
1/3/2017 14:41 | 1/4/2017 8:46 | 0.75 | 9.06 |
12/15/2016 10:51 | 12/15/2016 23:58 | 0.55 | 8.69 |
11/19/2016 12:49 | 11/19/2016 13:58 | 0.05 | 0.45 |
3/13/2016 14:49 | 3/13/2016 20:16 | 0.23 | 1.56 |
3/10/2016 16:17 | 3/11/2016 15.54 | 0.98 | 2.82 |
3/5/2016 17:55 | 3/7/2016 0:52 | 1.29 | 5.99 |
1/17/2016 19:59 | 1/19/2016 14:29 | 1.77 | 5.60 |
1/5/2016 3:29 | 1/5/2016 8:21 | 0.20 | 0.24 |
2/8/2015 10:49 | 2/8/2015 15:50 | 0.21 | 2.77 |
12/19/2014 8:58 | 12/19/2014 12:19 | 0.14 | 6.12 |
12/15/2014 5:48 | 12/16/2014 23:04 | 1.72 | 15.89 |
12/11/2014 7:13 | 12/12/2014 13:53 | 1.28 | 16.49 |
12/6/2014 2:16 | 12/6/2014 4:14 | 0.08 | 0.89 |
12/3/2014 4:45 | 12/3/2014 12:52 | 0.34 | 1.88 |
2/27/2014 19:57 | 2/28/2014 10:47 | 0.62 | 2.01 |
2/8/2014 10:19 | 2/9/2014 13:37 | 1.14 | 1.75 |