GREENE – The Village of Greene has approved a plan to take up to $15,000 from the reserves to cover unexpected expenses related to the upgrade of Greene’s waste water treatment infrastructure.
The decision was made in response to a request by Greene’s Public Works Superintendent Bob Nowalk. The additional funds will be used to purchase a disposable waste system or grinder, also known as a “muffin monster,” for lift station #2 as well as a new pump for lift station #3
Nowalk reported the original plans for the upgrade of lift station #2, located on Monell Street Extension, called for using the existing pipe-mounted muffin monster.
Vacri Construction was awarded the $108,000 contract for waste water improvements earlier this year. After work on the project began, the Binghamton-based contractor discovered there was not enough space to accommodate the equipment between the existing underground pump room and the wet well. “There was only 21 inches between the building and the wet well,” said Nowalk. “We need 36 inches.”
Plans were further complicated when the pipes carrying the waste water were found to be encased in concrete.
The new muffin monster, which grinds up larger waste in the water like a larger, more powerful garbage disposal, will be channel set. It carries a price tag of about $8,000.
“Most things in waste water, if you are getting 15 years out of them, you are doing good,” said Nowalk. The last upgrade at Station #2 was done in 1987.
For Nowalk, the most important benefit of the work being done at the station is safety. The previous lift station required workers to descend 26 feet into the pump room to conduct maintenance, a process that required extensive safety procedures. The new lift station will allow technicians to hoist the pumps out of the wet well when maintenance is needed.
Nowalk expects Vacri to complete waste water improvements within the next couple of weeks.
Nowalk will also order a replacement pump for lift station #3, which is located at the waste water treatment plant on Water Street. Two pumps are currently at this lift station, but one is in need of repair. Having a spare pump will allow Nowalk to send the old one away to be fixed under warrantee. Lift station #3 is the only station without a spare pump. The purchase, which was not in the project’s original scope of work, will be roughly $5,500 with shipping.
Nowalk estimated the total additional cost of these purchases at $13,500. Mayor Marcia Miller and the village trustees decided to approve $15,000 to be transferred from the reserve fund to make sure that Nowalk has the money available to finish the project.
According to the village’s by-laws, the decision to take money out of the reserves must be advertised for a period of 30 days. The public will have that time to comment on the decision before the money becomes available for the Public Works department’s use.