Problem
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette needed additional student housing, but their municipal sewer system had reached capacity. With no option to tie into city infrastructure, the university had to install a fully independent wastewater treatment system, right in the middle of an active campus.
This wasn’t a typical install. The project called for a neighborhood-scale, 80,000 gpd extended aeration system in a space surrounded by buildings, walkways and constant foot traffic. Century-old live oak trees had to remain untouched, and strict DEQ nutrient and ammonia limits had to be met. On top of that, the system had to operate quietly, without odors or visual disruption, in one of the most publicly visible areas on campus.
Solution
Gainey’s designed and manufactured a custom precast extended aeration wastewater treatment plant built specifically for the site’s constraints and performance requirements.
The system uses a combination of aerobic and anoxic zones to biologically remove ammonia and nutrients without the need for chemical additives. To protect the surrounding environment and preserve the oak trees, the plant was installed using crane placement, minimizing disturbance to the site.
To ensure long-term reliability and operator-friendly performance, the system was designed with air-driven returns and aeration in place of mechanical pumps, reducing both noise and maintenance. Flow equalization and strategic sludge management were incorporated to keep the system stable, even with variable campus usage.
Result
From day one, the system exceeded expectations — even with high-strength influent. BOD was reduced from 296 mg/L to 3 mg/L, TSS from 372 mg/L to 4 mg/L, and ammonia from 57 mg/L to just 0.4 mg/L, achieving over 99% removal.
Today, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has a quiet, odor-free, fully compliant wastewater treatment system that supports campus growth without placing additional demand on city infrastructure. Students walk past it every day, and most never realize it’s there.
This project demonstrates that even in the most challenging environments, with strict regulations and high visibility, the right design and the right partner can deliver a solution that simply works.
