Vista Engineering LLC has experience with rehabilitation and expanding capacity of existing structures. Often times, these modifications occur adjacent to established neighborhoods. Stakeholder buy-in is often more important than when the original project was built. The new project needs to blend into the surrounding environment. Sustainability is a consideration when selecting construction materials, and operating costs over the life of the project.
The water tank project shown in these photos added a 100,000-gallon concrete tank adjacent to the existing 50,000-gal concrete tank. The tank system was blended into the existing contours. The construction separation between the two tanks was connected with a concrete valve vault room to allow easy, year-round access to valves, chlorine feed equipment, and tank level controls.
Excavated soil was screened and used for backfill, The tanks were insulated with backfill. The exposed wall of the valve vault was insulated with Exterior Insulation & Finish System (EIFS) and painted dark brown. The insulation reduced the heating load.
Large rocks from the excavation spoils were dry-stacked for retaining walls. Native grasses were planted on slopes to retain backfilled soil and blend the project into the surrounding landscape.
Large rocks from the excavation spoils were dry-stacked for retaining walls. Native grasses were planted on slopes to retain backfilled soil and blend the project into the surrounding landscape.
Tank mixing was provided by a piping and check valve system that used the potential energy of the tank’s water level for to send water through the variable orifice inlet nozzles. The piping system separated the inlet and outlet with one manifold pipe to eliminate short-circuiting.
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First step in designing an OWTS is selecting the leach field location. Off-sets from buildings, wells, water features, and property lines are established by the regulations. The leach field can’t be located within a corral. Livestock should be fenced out in order to prevent soil compaction.
Next, a Site and Soil Evaluation is conducts. Specific requirements can vary based on the local regulations. Generally, the following steps are required:
- Preliminary Investigation
- Reconnaissance
- Detailed Soil Investigation
- Design Report
- Site Plan
The septic tank is required to be water-tight, and resist uplift. Precast concrete tanks with concrete or plastic risers usually have adequate weight to resist uplift, and can have a design life nearing 50-years. Plastic tanks require concrete ballast blocks to resist uplift. The cost of materials and labor for installing a plastic tank should be included in the selection decision.
Additional design considerations for septic tanks include:
- Two or more compartments
- The first compartment sized to hold
- ½ (required effective volume)
- Two or more tanks in series
- The first tank sized to hold
- ½ (required effective volume)
- Minimum liquid depth of 30 inches
- Refer to local regulations for additional criteria
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The leach field, or Soil Treatment Area (STA) is sized based on the OWTS design capacity and soil percolation rate.
Additional design considerations for leach fields include:
- Cleanouts at bends in piping between septic tank and leach field
- Distribution Box
- Effluent pumping, including electrical power and controls
- Refer to local regulations for additional criteria
Vista Engineering has an agricultural background, and has implemented sustainable design practices to reduce ranch operating costs.
SOLAR-POWERED AERATION
Using solar-powered aeration keeps the water from freezing. Providing water for livestock during the cold winter months is as important to calf development as providing quality hay and supplements. Traveling out to the pasture stock tanks and breaking ice takes a lot of time and labor throughout the day and night.
Electric-powered stock heaters can keep the tanks partially open. The electrical cost can be estimated by ± 2.47 Watts to raise 1 gallon of water by 1 degree/hour.
Where is the electric power coming from? You can’t string an extension cord from the barn out to the tank. The local electric provider might install a power drop, at your cost.
Capturing power from the sun is becoming a common approach out on the prairie. Fixed solar panels capture varying amounts of solar energy as the sun passes across the sky. Solar panels can be installed on a tracker. The tracker and solar panel system will capture more solar energy over the day. The panels move with the sun as it passes across the sky. Batteries are used to store power during the day, to be available on cloudy days and during the night.
Electric-powered stock heaters can keep the tanks partially open. The electrical cost can be estimated by ± 2.47 Watts to raise 1 gallon of water by 1 degree/hour.
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Where is the electric power coming from? You can’t string an extension cord from the barn out to the tank. The local electric provider might install a power drop, at your cost.
Capturing power from the sun is becoming a common approach out on the prairie. Fixed solar panels capture varying amounts of solar energy as the sun passes across the sky. Solar panels can be installed on a tracker. The tracker and solar panel system will capture more solar energy over the day. The panels move with the sun as it passes across the sky. Batteries are used to store power during the day, to be available on cloudy days and during the night.
From our years of working around aeration basins, we have observed that compressed air that bubbles through diffusers keeps ice from forming on the surface of the basin. The compressed air is warm, and the bubbles keep the water gently mixing. These conditions combine to melt ice off the tank’s surface.
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Our tank de-icing system used a small air compressor, powered from the solar panel. The system was operated year-round. During cold months, it prevented ice from covering the stock tank surface. During warm months, the aeration discouraged algae growth.
Missouri Wind and Solar sells components required to build the bubbler system. Their website is a good resource. Call them for additional information.
Missouri Wind and Solar 332 Cobble Stone Drive Seymour, MO 65746 Web: www.mwands.com Phone: (417)708-5359
SNOW FENCE
Effective Snow Fence installation – the location relative to the objects protected from drifts and the length of fence – has been extensively researched. Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) has resources available from their website.
Snow fence reduces the wind speed. The blowing snow drops out of suspension and falls on the down-wind side of the fence. Over the winter, the snow flakes freeze together making a smooth snow drift.
A drift can spread 10 to 35 times the height of the fence. Make sure to install the fence far enough away from the protected item to have room for the drift to deposit. Lengthen the fence 20x(fence height) at both ends to account for wind variation.
Roads drift when the prevailing wind blows perpendicular across the road. The photo above shows drifting that occurred when an old snow fence was removed, and an early storm hit before the new fence was installed. The question of the necessity of the long fence was answered. More money was spent plowing and pulling stuck vehicles out of the drift than the cost of the new snow fence.
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Why You Should Choose Us
As a dedicated woman-owned engineering company, we take pride in providing comprehensive services for water treatment design projects from start to finish. From planning stages to full-scale pilot studies, final design, construction observation, and project start-up, our team ensures that every aspect of your project is expertly managed. Our operator's perspective on treatment plant design ensures that we bring innovative solutions to even the most complex challenges.