Water Re-use Project Installed at Rancho Encantado in New Mexico

LOCATION: Santa Fe, NM
DESCRIPTION: IWS was awarded a Design-Build contract for the wastewater system and provided all the engineering and construction with in-house resources.

Rancho Encantado is a legendary resort known as a peaceful retreat for the rich and famous. The resort has hosted some of the world’s most influential people including Prince Rainer, Princess Grace and the Dalai Lama. In 2006, the resort began a $35 million renovation to upgrade all the lodging, restaurants, and spa facilities.
IWS was awarded a Design-Build contract for the wastewater system and is currently in the final stages of constructing the system. IWS provided all the engineering and construction with in-house resources. From notice to proceed to final construction the project will be completed within 6 months. IWS was able accelerate the schedule by: a) fast tracking the project through NMED by responding quickly to comments; and b) utilizing the Design-Build contracting mechanism.

The facilities include 69 rooms and over 300 seats of restaurant capacity. The system was designed to treat 20,000 gallons per day with the following treatment train: a) 2, 20,000 gallon primary septic tanks; b) 1, 20,000 gallon anoxic tank; c) 1, 20,000 gallon recirculation tank; d) 6, Orenco Advantex pods; e) 1,upflow nitrogen reduction filter; f) 1, 5,000 gallon dosing tank; and g) 12,000 ft2 of Geoflow subsurface drip irrigation system.

This project offers an exciting opportunity for IWS as it is a showpiece for our newly designed innovative Nitrogen Reduction Upflow Filter to be implemented within the treatment process to meet the ever reducing nitrogen limits. The Nitrogen Reduction Filter will follow the Advantex textile filters and is expected to reduce the post Avantex nitrogen effluent concentrations by as much as 60 – 70% with a single pass.
Construction of the wastewater treatment facility is on schedule to be completed in the Fall. The reopening of the resort is scheduled for Summer of 2008. IWS worked closely with Roger Shafer of SCG Enterprises (scgenterprises.com), the local representative for wastewater treatment equipment in New Mexico and Colorado. Roger was a great technical resource for this project as well as the others that IWS is currently executing in New Mexico.

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