• Mr. Knotts has managed the design of numerous wastewater treatment systems utilizing all forms of treatment technologies, including clarification, ion exchange, carbon adsorption and biochemical processes. The processes were utilized in municipal and industrial facilities as well as in electric utilities. He has provided engineering design and consulting services to Florida water and wastewater utilities, including Hillsborough County, Orange County, Putnam County, Lee County, Gulf Utilities, and the City of Fort Myers. He also has provided engineering design and consulting services to Florida electrical utilities such as Tampa Electric, Florida Power and Light, and Lakeland Electric.
• Served as the Engineering Manager for the design and construction of a major 1000 gallon per minute groundwater recovery and treatment system at a Florida defense contractor manufacturing facility. The treatment system was designed to provide for the complete removal of volatile organic compounds in order to use the treated groundwater for a municipal water supply. As part of RCRA interim corrective measures mandated under a United States Environmental Protection Agency administrative order, the groundwater treatment system design had to attain all requirements of the environmental regulating agencies and also meet the requirements of a potable drinking water system in accordance with both local construction and American Water Works Association (AWWA) codes and guidelines. The system was completed and on-line within seven months and was constructed to provide dual control of the system by both the client and municipality. The interim remedial action saved the client more than $3,000,000 in costs to provide the municipality with a new wellfield and treatment system.
• Served a Project Manager for the development of a complete process wastewater reuse program at a defense contractor manufacturing facility in Florida. The project involved the review of all process operations, wastewater generation, characterization of wastewaters, and development of unit processes to recover and reuse the wastewater for process/operations. The program resulted in the reuse of approximately 75% of all process wastewater. In addition, the reuse program resulted in the savings of almost one million dollars in the design, construction, and operation of a new wastewater treatment system.
• Served as Engineering Manager for the design of a water treatment modification for a microelectronics manufacturing facility on Florida East Coast. The design work involved the replacement of an ion exchange system with a reverse osmosis membrane separation process. The project included RO modeling involving split stream flows, reverse osmosis system design, and design of controls and instrumentation.
• Served as process engineer for the design of a wastewater treatment until process for a micro-electronic facility on Florida’s East Coast. The design work included an analysis of the generation of a wastewater ladened with silver. Evaporation processes for capture of silver and re-use of water were examined and specialized thermal processes were evaluated for application feasibility.
• Served as Project Manager for a water reuse project in a large manufacturing facility in Florida. The project involved the collection and treatment of process wastewater from throughout the facility’s entire physical layout. Different unit treatment processes were tested and implemented for process wastewater rec
• Managed the engineering efforts for the design and construction of water treatment and wastewater treatment systems for pulp and paper mills in the southeastern U.S. This has included the water pretreatment for high-pressure boiler systems and a complete wastewater treatment system for a bleached Kraft paper mill.
• Participated in the design of a water pretreatment system upgrade for a 2000-ton per day Kraft paper mill. This included the design of new membrane separation, demineralization, and degasifying/deaerating processes for utility water.
• Participated in the feasibility study and managed the preliminary design of a 50 million-gallon per day pulp and paper mill treated wastewater effluent pipeline. The 28-mile pipeline was site-positioned adjacent to a Florida river to carry the effluent to the Gulf of Mexico.
• Managed the engineering efforts for the design and construction of large treatment systems for major groundwater hydrocarbon contaminations. The system designs have included oil/water separation and air stripping.
• Designed a patented wastewater treatment process using both ion exchange and biochemical processes in a continuous flow bioreactor (formally published).
• Developed a patented process to modify natural zeolites for increasing ion capacity and selectivity in the removal of inorganic nutrients and radionuclides from wastewater (formally published).
• Participated in the design of wastewater treatment at two anhydrous ammonia fertilizer plants. The wastewater treatment processes included retention ponds and complete biochemical facilities for nitrification and denitrification.
• Participated in the design of complete wastewater treatment process packages at three large meatpacking facilities. The systems included clarification and dissolved air flotation for oil and grease removal as well as filtration and polishing processes.
• Participated in the design of a complete waste treatment process for a small Nebraska steel mill, including metals and oil removal through clarification processes.
• Managed the design of a complete wastewater treatment system and dust suppression system at a Wyoming coal mine. The process design included recovery of fine particulate coal from both air and water.
• Managed the design program for a complete chromate destruction system for removal of hexavalent chrome from a large industrial cooling water system. The system included chemical addition, precipitation, and sludge handling.
• Participated in or managed the process design of numerous water pre-treatment systems involving partial or complete demineralization by ion exchange, membrane separation, and chemical softening technologies.
• Managed the design efforts for multistage reverse osmosis units for ultrapure water production.
• Participated in the design and incorporation of a carbon adsorption unit for a large beverage production facility.
• Provided consulting services for coal-fired, oil-fired and nuclear electric utilities in the Midwest.
• Provided direct consulting in the start-up and initial operation of the water and wastewater treatment systems of three large coal-fired electric utility plants.
• Managed the design of a wastewater collection and transmission system for a metals-related industry. The design allowed for the integration of future unit wastewater processes to accommodate plant operation expansion.
• Developed water reuse and water conservation plans and programs with alternative process water and wastewater system designs for both heavy and light industrial facilities.
• Developed and managed source control/waste minimization programs and strategies for industries, including pollution prevention assessments and detailed cost analyses.
• Served as a senior process engineer and managed the operations of two 0.015 MGD wastewater test facilities at a Florida municipal wastewater treatment plant.
