Document 6519217

Green recognition...
►► ALCOSAN was awarded the Gold LEED Certified Building award in
2011 for its newly constructed Customer Service and Training Building. Additional construction is underway, and the new buildings will
also follow green design standards.
What is
Green
►► ALCOSAN’s 2010 Open House obtained a Gold level certification by
Zero Waste Pittsburgh’s ZIP waste certification program. Efforts to
reduce the waste footprint of future events will continue.
about ALCOSAN
Green partners...
►► ALCOSAN is a founding member and active participant in the Southwestern Pennsylvania Household Hazardous Waste Taskforce. The
taskforce coordinates and implements household hazardous waste
collections.
►► ALCOSAN is a member of various watershed groups.
►► ALCOSAN is a member of the Rain Garden Alliance.
►► ALCOSAN is a member of the Pennsylvania Water Environment
Association.
►► ALCOSAN is a member of the Water Environment Federation.
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Allegheny County Sanitary Authority
3300 Preble Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15233
(412) 766-4810
www.alcosan.org
Environmental Excellence
Beyond Clean Water
We Operate
Green
►► Our incineration with energy
recovery process generates 24,000
lbs/hr of steam which is used to
heat a majority of our 56-acre
treatment facility. In addition to
energy efficiency, this process
produces a significant cost savings.
►► We use an average of 5 million
gallons per day of our final effluent
(treated water before discharge)
as a water source for various
operations including exhaust
scrubbing, cooling water and
equipment cleaning. The use of this
resource eliminates the need to use
City water, and again contributes to
cost savings.
►► We switched from liquid chlorine
to a less hazardous sodium
hypochlorite solution as part of our
final stage of wastewater treatment.
►► Our secondary biological removal
process contains billions of microorganisms- no chemicals!
►► ALCOSAN maintains several
beneficial use permits from state
regulatory agencies to recycle its
limed stabilized biosolids called
ALCOSOIL and its incinerator ash.
►► We day-light streams and restore
natural habitats. Day-lighting
involves removing streams from
sewer lines and redirecting them
back to their natural course as
much as possible.
Completed habitat restoration- Jacks Run
Wildlife
There is a variety of
wildlife on our 56-acre
plant site including
deer, hawks, ospreys,
rabbits, ducks, geese
and more!
We Think
Green
We Promote
Green
►► We host an annual Open House
that is free and open to the public.
This award-winning event is the
region’s largest watershed and
environmental festival. Our annual
event features tours of the treatment
plant and laboratory, microbiology
and watershed life presentations,
hands-on environmental activities
and exhibits for all ages.
►► Our Watershed Education Program
provides students with a basic
knowledge of watersheds including
watershed biology, function and
practices for preserving watershed
health.
►► Our Scholastic Outreach Program
provides environmental awareness
for students, teachers and
communities. Developed to meet
Pennsylvania’s Academic Standards
for Environment and Ecology, the
program stresses a hands-on
approach to environmental science
that teaches kids to be responsible
stewards of their environment.
►► Our Storm Drain Stenciling Program
is designed to educate the public
about the potential for storm drain
contamination, the pollution of local
waterways and not to use storm
drains as garbage cans.
►► We host and advertise webinars,
seminars, and training sessions
to help educate our 83 Customer
Municipalities and local businesses
about stormwater management and
environmentally friendly process
controls.
►► Our Summer Science Program
offers students in grades 5 through
9 exciting courses, hands-on
activities, and field trips related
to the sciences of wastewater
treatment and engineering.
Each session is designed using
Pennsylvania standards for
Environment & Ecology as well
as Science & Technology and
Engineering Education.
►► ALCOSAN began beneficial reuse
of its wastewater treatment
residuals in 1991 with the creation
of its limed stabilized biosolids
called ALCOSOIL. Our lime
stabilization process produces
approximately 25,000 to 30,000
dry tons of ALCOSOIL each
year of which 35% is applied to
reclaim damaged land or as a
soil amendment on farmland.
►► For our Open House event, we
switched to recycled and recyclable
products. Waste is then collected
and turned into compost. In 2010,
our Open House event was awarded
a Gold Award for “Zero Waste
Efforts”.
►► Our operations employees use
bicycles to cover our 56 acre
plant whenever weather permits.
This activity is both operationally
efficient, environmentally-friendly
and promotes physical
exercise.
►► We are replacing our
older, high mileage
vehicles in our vehicle
fleet with hybrid vehicles.
We Recycle...
• Paper
• Cardboard
• Light bulbs • Metal
• Computers • Wood and
• Cell phones
more!
• Phone books
►► Our employees participate in an
annual litter collection campaign
that enhances the appearance
of our roadways and hillsides,
and prevents litter from entering
storm drains and waterways.
►► We are upgrading older light
fixtures throughout the plant with
efficient fluorescent or LED type
units. In addition, timer and motion
sensors have been installed in less
frequented areas.