Sewer plant project: Costly, but useful.
The project includes upgrading the village area’s District I sewage treatment plant on South Street, and also closing the District II plant that serves the area around the intersection of Route 7 and 35, then piping that sewage to the South Street plant for treatment.
The last time the town’s District I sewer plant was renovated, more than 20 years ago, the cost was about $13 million — and the new renovation is expected to cost more.
The project will have several aspects: To upgrade treatment capability at the District I sewer plant, serving the village and town center, to meet higher state environmental standards for the treatment of both nitrogen and phosphorous; To close the District II sewer plant, near the intersection of Routes 7 and 35, and pipe the effluent currently handled by there to the upgraded District I plant off South Street for treatment; To modernize treatment facilities that are old, and have been relentlessly used.
“Those drive the technology that you use, the treatment process that you use to achieve those limits, and those treatment technologies become more complex — and they’re also not what we have in place right now, so we have to get them in place so we can meet our permit limits.” Getting older Sewer plants are supposed to be upgraded every 20 years, and it’s been 24 or 25 years for District I; but the town has been working with the DEEP.
“Instrumentation,” added Siebert.
“Not beyond what we currently have, for in-town, and Route 7,” Marconi added.
Efficiency was also part of the decision to close the District II plant at 7 and 35, and pump that waste down Route 35 to the center of town for treatment at South Street.
“Long-term cost benefits,” said Marconi.
Another is that sewer system benefits the entire town by allowing there to be a more densely developed area, with commercial and multifamily buildings that create a town center — and pay a lot of taxes.