Newhall Wastewater Treatment System Improvements

The City of Newhall received a new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requiring the City to meet new ammonia and disinfection limits that the existing lagoon system was not capable of meeting. The Newhall wastewater treatment system improvements created effluent quality, enhance their reliability, increase capacity, and replace the obsolete system to safely and reliably operate the City of Newhall’s wastewater system for the next 30 years.

The project area includes the current wastewater treatment facility property, which includes two lagoon cells, an equalization basin, and an access road as well as two lift stations (North and West) located within the City limits. The two aerated lagoon cells remained as aerated lagoon cells, the EQ basin was split with the southern portion being converted to a third aerated lagoon cell and the northern portion converted to a four-cell submerged attached growth reactor (SAGR) process.

UV disinfection was constructed within the wastewater treatment system improvements. A secondary force main was constructed parallel to the existing force main from the West lift station to the treatment facility to increase the capacity of both lift stations and help reduce sewer backups and overflows during rain events.

The treated wastewater from the facility discharges to Little Bear Creek a tributary to Bear Creek and the Cedar River. Little Bear Creek has a use stream designation of A2, B(WW2). The A2 designation is for secondary contact recreational use and the B(WW-2) designation is for smaller, warm water, perennially flowing stream capable of supporting and maintaining a resident aquatic community, but lacking the flow and habitat necessary to fully support and sustain game fish populations.