The new Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) at Tenaya Lodge is now operational after many years of planning and design.  The construction was completed in 10 months and at a cost of approximately $5.2M. The new WWTP corrects the deficiencies of the previous facility which was in operation since the construction of the Lodge in 1990.

The new plant treats wastewater from both the Main Lodge and Tenaya Cottages which were previously on separate systems.  This WWTP also allows sufficient capacity for future growth at Tenaya Lodge, including the Tenaya Cabins project which is proposed for construction in 2017 as well as other expansions.

Highlights of the new WWTP include:

  • 80,000 gallons per day for average daily flow capacity.
  • 120,000 gallons per day for peak day flow capacity.
  • 50,000 gallons of influent emergency storage in one underground storage tank.
  • 150,000 gallons of effluent emergency storage in three underground storage tanks.
  • On-site fill material was used to minimize the import of backfill, only 5,000 cubic yards of additional fill was required to grade the site. This practice reduced impacts from transportation including fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • An emergency generator is on site to serve the plant in the event of a power outage.
  • An automated leach field monitoring system meets State Water Board Requirements for discharge of effluent. This automated system switches from one leach field to another when saturated to safe guard against overwhelming one particular leach field.
  • UV disinfection is being utilized rather than the previous chlorine method which eliminates the storage and handling of a hazardous chemical.
  • The clarity of treated water exceeds California standards for drinking water.
  • A 4,500 square foot metal building houses the Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Treatment Unit.
  • Lighting, heating and cooling, and hot water generation systems were designed to meet California Title 24 standards for energy efficiency, however, these requirements were exceeded by 5.6%
  • A tertiary treatment method is suitable so that the effluent may be utilized for irrigation purposes which reduces the property’s water use for landscaping. The system is in the process of being converted so that the effluent can be used for irrigation this year.

Published January 2016