Wastewater Flow Upgrade—With $2M Price Tag—Reviewed by Lansdale Committees

Lansdale Public Works and Administration & Finance committees are in agreement about one thing — a potential $2 million wastewater plant upgrade to the treatment of high stormwater and wastewater flow is both environmentally and fiscally sound for Lansdale.
The committees met jointly Wednesday night, where Wastewater Treatment Plant Director Dan Shinskie explained the upgrade was the most viable alternative presented by Philadelphia consultant Hazen and Sawyer in their high flow study results to council in August. 
According to The Reporter, the recommended plan to the borough was to increase the processing capacity while also removing bottlenecks between processing tank. This extra capacity would handle heavy rain events and treat more flow during normal operations.
"In effect, we'd be doubling our capacity at the plant," Shinskie told committees Wednesday.
Lansdale Wastewater Treatment Plant can handle a peak influent flow of 40 million gallons a day before pumping stations begin overflow, say in a major storm event. The pumping stations, per The Reporter, can handle 25 million gallons a day.
The upgrade would also reduce the plant's yearly Combined Sewer Overflows, which are highly regulated by the federal government. Lansdale had 16 CSO events since 2009, per The Reporter. 
"We’re already receiving (high flow); this will treat it better," Shinskie said after the meeting. "We’ll be able to handle it better and less will be discharged through the overflow system."
Shinskie said the recommendation includes converting existing tanks to treatment tanks to treat more flow and the pump stations to pump more flow through the plant.
"It will remove bottlenecks that are existing between process tanks," Shinskie said. "There is undersized piping underground and we would be enlarging that piping."
Administration and Finance Chairman Dan Dunigan said it is not going to be a complicated decision.
"Like I said dozens of times: it's the most valuable asset we have in the borough," Dunigan said. "It's highly regulated. It's the last one we want to have to deal with from a regulatory standpoint from the Commonwealth and beyond." 
Flow management, he said, is one of the things that will keep "those folks at the federal level from coming knocking on our door." 
Brian Book of Hazen and Sawyer said Wednesday that the removal of bottlenecks will allow the system to send an additional 15 million gallons per day to handle that peak instantaneous flow over to a treatment process at denitrification basins.
Blowers and membrane diffusers, he said, would be added to the bottom of the basin to "expand the biological treatment."
In response to resident John Darab's question, Shinskie said Pennbrook pumping station was not part of the high flow study.
"We can handle all the high flow at Pennbrook," Shinskie said.
Council President Matt West—speaking as a member of the administration and finance committee—harkened back to the financial aspect of the borough's business arrangment with Merck to accept its wastewater.
"We made it a point to say that it's great for the additional revenue, but since it has to do with sewer, then we need to use a lion's share of that to reinvest in our sewer infrastructure," West said. "We're out there identifying new ways to generate additional revenue, not just to add to the bank, but to put investment in infrastructure."
Furthermore, West said the borough is using studies and recommendations and acting on them.
"I look forward to it," he said. 
Borough Manager Timi Kirchner commended Shinskie and Hazen and Sawyer for being proactive on finding a solution to the wastewater issue.
"I'd be remiss in not picking up on that," Kirchner said. "They approached this council and said 'This really should be done.'"
Utilities Director Jake Ziegler said an increase in capacity would be an environmentally prudent thing to do. 
"I think there will be longterm benefits for Lansdale Borough and the plant for years to come," Ziegler said. 
After the meeting, Shinskie said the treatment plant has been making strides over the years to improve the maximum capacity.
"We reached a point where we need a capital improvement to go further," he said. "The need has been there quite a while. The addition of Merck flow and funds from that are going back into the plant."