This Design-Bid-Build project involved a complete replacement of the aging lagoon-style wastewater treatment system serving the Towns of East New Market and Secretary, Maryland. The scope included the construction of a new Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) process, a headworks building with advanced screening and grit removal, a new raw sewage pumping station, and aerobic digesters with 24-hour storage and equalization tanks constructed using prestressed, post-tensioned concrete. Additional improvements included a new UV disinfection system, a solids dewatering and handling system, upgraded electrical service, emergency generator replacement, and a fully integrated SCADA and HMI plant control system.
The upgraded facility introduced a modern, high-efficiency treatment process to replace an outdated lagoon system that had reached the end of its useful life. Key components included a two-basin SBR system for enhanced nutrient removal, advanced UV disinfection in place of legacy chlorination, and a fully integrated plant control system for real-time monitoring and automation. The new plant was constructed and commissioned without triggering a single operational interruption to the existing facility, enabling a clean four-hour cutover upon completion.
These improvements dramatically elevated the plant's environmental performance and long-term reliability for more than 1,300 residents. The new treatment processes reduced TKN by 67%, phosphorous by 95%, and nitrogen by 80%, significantly reducing pollutant discharge into the Warwick River and Chesapeake Bay. The project was completed on time and on budget, with over $400,000 in value engineering savings returned to the owner.
The Twin Cities WWTP was completed on time, on budget, and met effluent permit restrictions within its first month of operation. ACE delivered over $400,000 in value engineering savings to a community that had waited more than 20 years for this project. The plant achieved nutrient reduction levels that outperform conventional treatment standards by up to 90%, and the final cutover to the new facility was completed in just four hours. In recognition of the project's excellence, the Maryland Rural Water Association awarded the facility its WaterDrop Award for "Wastewater System of the Year."
"ACE Services did an outstanding job on the Twin Cities WWTP Upgrade. Their personnel were fully engaged from the start, acted as true advocates for the client, and consistently operated in a collaborative and non-adversarial manner. Through value engineering, they lowered our costs significantly, and through their commitment to quality and schedule, they delivered a project we are proud of."