Waste Water Treatment Plant improvements could be much higher than expected
NORWICH – Earlier this year, it was estimated that repairs to the rotating biological contactors at the City of Norwich Waste Water Treatment Plant would begin sometime in January; however according to Department of Public Works Superintendent Carl Ivarson, additional information and time may be needed before the repairs can be completed.
On Thursday morning, Ivarson told the members of the Public Works / Public Safety Committee that he hoped to obtain answers to his questions during a meeting on Jan. 30 with the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Chesapeake Bay Commission.
The DEC and the Chesapeake Bay Commission have been passing regulations that would limit the amount of phosphorous and nitrates that are released into the environment from waste water treatment plants. Ivarson told the committee that a smaller New York state treatment plant was recently upgraded to comply with the changes, and the cost for that plant exceeded $12 million.
The current plans for the waste water treatment plant upgrades total approximately $3.5 million. The funds would be used to repair the RBCs, a piece of the of a secondary treatment system. Six RBCs make up each train, and the wastewater plant is comprised of three trains. The RBC is made up of a series of closely spaced, high density plastic discs supported on a long shaft, and rotated by a mechanical drive. Sewage travels through the primary treatment area, where coarse materials are removed, before passing through the RBC units, which work to breakdown and stabilize organic pollutants.
“I don’t want to spend all that money ($3.5 million) and then find out we’re still not in compliance,” Ivarson told the committee. He explained that if the state decided to hold Norwich to the regulations, the plant would not be in compliance. “Until after that meeting, I won’t be able to give you any more updates,” Ivarson said.
If required the upgrades to the plant would be expensive, but an even bigger problem according to Ivarson would be the cost of operation. “With the new treatment plant, our yearly operating expense would be over $1 million,” Ivarson said, but even that seemed like a smaller problem to Ivarson than the issue of manpower for the facility. “The biggest problem would be finding someone to run it. I’ve been looking for a lead operator for three years,” Ivarson said, indicating the manpower shortages he has seen in the past years.
Ivarson will be able to provide additional information on the possible requirements after the end of month meeting.
On Thursday morning, Ivarson told the members of the Public Works / Public Safety Committee that he hoped to obtain answers to his questions during a meeting on Jan. 30 with the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Chesapeake Bay Commission.
The DEC and the Chesapeake Bay Commission have been passing regulations that would limit the amount of phosphorous and nitrates that are released into the environment from waste water treatment plants. Ivarson told the committee that a smaller New York state treatment plant was recently upgraded to comply with the changes, and the cost for that plant exceeded $12 million.
The current plans for the waste water treatment plant upgrades total approximately $3.5 million. The funds would be used to repair the RBCs, a piece of the of a secondary treatment system. Six RBCs make up each train, and the wastewater plant is comprised of three trains. The RBC is made up of a series of closely spaced, high density plastic discs supported on a long shaft, and rotated by a mechanical drive. Sewage travels through the primary treatment area, where coarse materials are removed, before passing through the RBC units, which work to breakdown and stabilize organic pollutants.
“I don’t want to spend all that money ($3.5 million) and then find out we’re still not in compliance,” Ivarson told the committee. He explained that if the state decided to hold Norwich to the regulations, the plant would not be in compliance. “Until after that meeting, I won’t be able to give you any more updates,” Ivarson said.
If required the upgrades to the plant would be expensive, but an even bigger problem according to Ivarson would be the cost of operation. “With the new treatment plant, our yearly operating expense would be over $1 million,” Ivarson said, but even that seemed like a smaller problem to Ivarson than the issue of manpower for the facility. “The biggest problem would be finding someone to run it. I’ve been looking for a lead operator for three years,” Ivarson said, indicating the manpower shortages he has seen in the past years.
Ivarson will be able to provide additional information on the possible requirements after the end of month meeting.
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