Routinely experiencing water restrictions during the summer months due to periods of drought, the town of Round Hill, Virginia knew they needed to increase capacity. With high levels of iron and manganese present, Round Hill made the decision to build a new water treatment plant. The main zone within the town contains nine potable wells, with the new plant being Round Hill’s third treatment facility. The Westlake plant was designed to treat two wells initially, with the capacity to add a third well in the future. Tonka Water, a U.S. Water Brand’s Optacell™ Plus horizontal pressure filter system with Simul-Wash was selected due to the ease of operation, smaller footprint and overall potential for cost savings.
OptaCell Plus filters are designed with cell compartments fully isolated from one another, both above and below the underdrain. This innovative filter cell design allows for an individual cell to be backwashed or taken completely off line while the other cells remain in service. The Westlake plant was designed with a 10’ diameter by 19’ long horizontal pressure vessel containing a total of three individual filter cells fitted with the Simul-Wash™ backwash system. In addition to the benefits of a reduced footprint by having all three cells contained in one vessel, by incorporating the Simul-Wash process, backwash waste was also minimized saving the town thousands of gallons of waste washwater.
Commissioned in 2015, the Westlake treatment plant has been an important addition to the town’s system, accounting for thirty five percent of the water produced in the town’s main zone. The plant has been meeting expectations since start up and remains an important facility. Tonka Water, a U.S. Water Brand is proud to have been a part of this project.