THE HELENA, NEW YORK, NY
2005 ACEC-NY DIAMOND ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARD

Wastewater Recovery in the Urban Environment Surpasses Owner’s Goals:
At The Helena, a new 600-unit, upscale residential building in Midtown Manhattan, the owner required a black water treatment plant that treats all types of wastewater and generates enough reusable water for makeup to the cooling towers and the drip irrigation system in the roof garden.

The plant—the largest in the U.S. for a residential building—exceeded that goal, and will generate an average of 50,000 gallons of reusable water per day, enough for this building as well as for the needs of an already planned adjacent commercial building.

Limited Space and Complexity Drive Design:
A compact system was designed especially for The Helena that could be placed inside the building without disturbing residents. The solution included innovative use of a state-of-the-art, tiered membrane bioreactor, which allowed the division of system components that are normally joined.

Modularizing the treatment process allowed greater flexibility. The modularization was enhanced by enclosing all membranes in tubes, on indoor racks, rather than in large concrete tanks typically used.

Additionally, given that the plant is located adjacent to residential apartments, the design had to address the problem of odor and noise control. Essentially, the developer demanded that the plant be entirely concealed to the building tenants.

Setting a Precedent for Urban Conservation:
The Helena successfully demonstrates that wastewater can be reused effectively—year-round—in an urban environment. By reducing water usage in this residential property and dense urban setting, where toilets, laundries, showers, plant watering and cooling towers make up the bulk of water consumption, the treatment plant significantly decreases the consumption of potable water and reduces the amount of wastewater sent to the city’s sewage system.