Plans for wastewater treatment plant repairs laid out

NORWICH – A piece of the secondary treatment system at the City of Norwich Wastewater Treatment Plant has failed, and according to Department of Public Works Superintendent Carl Ivarson, more will fail in the coming months, making the need to move forward with the project at the plant even more crucial.

Representatives from Delaware Engineering, P.C. attended a meeting of the City of Norwich Water Commission on Wednesday night to explain the scope of the replacement plan. After examining several possible plans, the developers identified their recommended plan, which would probably raise sewer bills for city residents by approximately 15 percent a year for three years, which totals an average dollar amount of $10 per month or $30 a quarter.

“Media modules in all of the wastewater treatment plant’s Rotating Biological Contactors are deteriorating after over 20 years of service,” Dave Ohman, project engineer for Delaware Engineering, said. The wastewater treatment plant is made up of 18 RBCs on three separate trains. At any given time, two trains are in operation. The RBCs make up a large portion of the secondary wastewater treatment system, but due to their condition, they require extensive repair or maintenance to sustain adequate treatment.

Repairs are required to keep the city in compliance with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation requirements and upcoming limits for phosphorous and nitrogen levels that the Chesapeake Bay/Susquehanna River Basin Commission may require in the future.

The Chesapeake Bay requirements have not yet been issued, but the initial goal was to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous levels in the region.

Four different plans were examined. The first called for the replacement of the existing RBC equipment, and the replacement and addition of some other equipment that could help reduce nitrogen and phosphorous levels. The chemical feed facilities would also be modified for enhanced phosphorous removal. The total cost of the project is estimated at approximately $4.5 million.