Where do we get our WATER, and what happens to it when we are finished with it?
100 Points
DUE! Friday, February 27, 2004
We will have TWO class periods to work on this project.
Working alone or in pairs,
You are to write a book designed for fifth graders explaining where fort Collins gets its water, how it is
made safe for us, and how we make the used water safe for others downstream from us.
Use your imagination and have fun with this project. Creativity will be rewarded.
Fifth graders are capable of understanding complex issues, but do not yet have a large vocabulary.
Instructions:
A snowflake falls on the West side of Rocky Mountain National Park and ends up in Willow Creek Reservoir.
1. Describe and explain how the water gets from the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park to the
Fort Collins water filtration plant.
2. Describe and explain how the water filtration plant cleans our water and makes it safe to drink.
Describe and explain how the water is reclaimed and made safe to be re-used at the wastewater plant.
Requirements:
a. There must be a map of your water supply area. (Watershed).
a. The map must identify the main aspects of the Colorado Big Thompson Project.
b. There must be a picture or illustration of the water filtration plant.
i. All steps must be identified and explained in words and concepts a fifth grader can
understand.
ii. The vocabulary must be explained in plain words (i.e. flocculation)
iii. The three major categories of toxins (poisons and pollutants) must be identified and how
they are treated.
c. There must be a picture or illustration of the waste water plant.
i. All steps must be identified and explained in words and concepts a fifth grader can
understand.
ii. The vocabulary must be explained in plain words.
The Colorado-Big Thompson Project is the largest transmountain water diversion project in Colorado.Built
between 1938 and 1957, the C-BT Project provides supplemental water to 30 cities and towns. The water is
used to help irrigate more than 600,000 acres of northeastern Colorado farmland.
Twelve reservoirs, 35 miles of tunnels, 95 miles of canals and 700 miles of transmission lines comprise the
complex collection, distribution and power system. The C-BT system spans 150 miles east to west and 65 from
north to south.
West of the Continental Divide, Willow Creek and Shadow Mountain reservoirs, Grand Lake and Lake Granby
collect and store the water of the upper Colorado River. The water is pumped into Shadow Mountain Reservoir
where it flows by gravity into Grand Lake. From there, the 13.1 mile Alva B. Adams Tunnel transports the
water under the divide to the East Slope.
Once the water reaches the East Slope, it is used to generate electricity as it falls almost half a mile through five
power plants on its way to Colorado's Front Range. Carter Lake, Horsetooth Reservoir and Boulder Reservoir
store the water. C-BT water is released as needed to supplement native water supplies in the South Platte River
basin.
The C-BT Project annually delivers 220,000 acre feet of water to northeastern Colorado for agricultural,
municipal and industrial uses.
Water treatment plant
Presedimentation - Before raw
water from the Poudre River is piped
to the treatment facility, it passes
through the presedimentation basin:
The basin screens out large debris
and settles out sand and silt.
Rapid Mix - the water is mixed at high speed while aluminum sulfate (alum) is added to chemically combine
with contaminants and neutralize the electrical charges. This allows the impurities to begin coagulating, or
forming small particles that can more easily be removed.
Flocculation - the small contaminant particles formed in the rapid mix begin to collect and form larger
particles, called floc, which are heavier than water. The water is mixed slowly at different speeds to assist floc
formation, and a polymer is added to strengthen the floc so it does not fall apart and combine with the clean
water.
Sedimentation - the larger suspended particles (floc) formed in the flocculation basin settle to the bottom of the
basin. Inclined plates are used to speed the settling. Clear water is skimmed off the top of the basin.
Solids Drawoff - after settling to the bottom of the basin, the floc is scraped into a pit and drawn off through a
pipeline. The resulting material is spread out in a shallow pond, where it dries out for easier handling.
Clearwell - a small holding tank where the finishing process takes place, ensuring that the water is safe and
healthy to drink. Chlorine is added as a disinfectant according to state and federal regulations. The addition of
flouride was mandated by citizens of Fort Collins in the 1960s to enhance dental health. Lime and carbon
dioxide are added to make the water less corrosive to home plumbing systems.
Storage & Distribution - once the water is treated and ready for drinking, it is stored in underground reservoirs
until needed. The reservoirs provide storage for 37 million gallons of water that can be used during high use
periods. Underground pipes carry the water from the storage reservoirs to your tap.
Pretreatment - Wastewater from some businesses and industry contains contaminants that are difficult to
remove during the wastewater treatment process. This wastewater must be pretreated before it can be
discharged into the collection system. This assures that the biological process of treatment is not affected by
heavy metal contaminants.
Bar Screens and Grit Removal - Bar screens trap and remove coarse debris as wastewater enters the treatment
facility. This prevents mechanical damage or clogging of pipes, pumps and other equipment.
After passing through the bar screen, wastewater enters a grit basin where the flow is slowed allowing sand,
rocks and other heavy particles to settle. Grit removal protects plant equipment and prevents loss of capacity
due to solids accumulation.
Material from the barscreens and grit basins is deposited in the Larimer County Landfill after being washed and
dewatered.
Primary Clarifier - In the primary clarifiers, wastewater is slowed to allow organic solids to settle. The solids
are pumped to the anaerobic digesters and floating scum and grease are skimmed off the top. Biotower - In the
biotowers, wastewater from the primary clarifiers is applied over plastic or rock media. A biological process
takes place that transforms the organic material into slime. As the slime grows, it becomes heavy enough to fall
off and it is carried to the intermediate clarifiers.
Intermediate Clarifier - Slime from the biotowers settles in the intermediate clarifiers before it is thickened
and pumped to the anaerobic digesters. Water from the clarifiers is carried to the aeration basins.
Aeration Basin/Secondary Clarifier - Adding oxygen in the aeration basin speeds up the bacterial growth
which removes organic wastes. The solids and water from the aeration basin then flow into the secondary
clarifier. The solids settle out and are returned to the aeration basin. The clear water flows on to the disinfection
process.
Disinfection - At this point in the process the water is clean, but must be disinfected to remove disease-causing
pathogens. The Drake facility disinfects with chlorine, which is removed before discharging the water The
Mulberry facility uses ultraviolet light for disinfection. At the Mulberry Water Reclamation Facility the
disinfection process is accomplished with the use of Ultraviolet light. The treated water flows through an array
of bulbs that emit ultraviolet light which serves as the disinfectant.
Sludge Thickening - Solids are mixed with fine air bubbles so they can be skimmed off the surface. The
thickened sludge is then pumped to the anaerobic digesters.
Discharge - Now that the water is clean and safe for the environment, it is discharged back into the waterways.
Water from the Mulberry facility is discharged directly into the Cache la Poudre River. The Drake facility
mainly discharges water into the Fossil Creek Ditch to be used by farmers for irrigation. Water also goes to
Rawhide Power Plant as part of a reuse agreement.
Anaerobic Digester - This process reduces the pathogens (biological poisons) and odors (eewww) of the
incoming sludge. The anaerobic digester mixes and heats the sludge in an enclosed tank without oxygen.
Anaerobic bacteria break down organics and produce methane gas. This gas is burned in boilers to supply heat
for the process and for facility buildings. After 30 to 60 days, the sludge is ready for dewatering.
Dewatering and Beneficial Use - Liquid biosolids (sludge) have the water taken out through chemical and
physical processes. The resulting solid material is trucked to local farms and applied as a soil conditioner and
fertilizer.
Collection System - The wastewater collection system is a network of underground pipes that collects
wastewater from homes, businesses and industry. The pipes carry the waste to one of the Water Reclamation
Facilities. The system is designed to flow at a velocity of approximately two feet per second to keep organics
from settling in the system.