$1.6 Million Eyed For Pittsfield Sewer System Projects
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is looking to spend $1.6 million to comply with federal regulations for the wastewater treatment plant and reduce excess water from entering the system.
The City Council's Finance Subcommittee on Thursday voted to recommend the expenditure to the full council, starting the process. The city is under an administrative order from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce phosphorus and aluminum in the treated wastewater.
The system is not currently capable of doing so and the city needs to be in compliance by Aug. 1, 2017.
The authorization being recommended for approval is just a start in compliance. Commissioner of Public Utilities Bruce Collingwood said $1 million of the $1.6 million is a "bridge" to future capital projects.
"Once I get a final cost estimate for the final design, this will apply for the final design to start right after we finish the preliminary work. Once I have a final number I will be back to the council to appropriate the balance of what is going to be needed," Collingwood said.
The other $600,000 of the authorization is for continued work to reduce intake and inflow. A few years ago, the city performed a study to find where excess water was getting into the system and is now trying close the gaps. Collingwood said this is the third phase of the project.
"It is groundwater and storm water getting into the collection system. Basically, it is a burden on the wastewater treatment plant," Collingwood said.
The commissioner said one of the tests included pumping smoke throughout the entire system and finding out where it was escaping. Now, this project is going to a number of specific points in the system and making repairs to keep the water from entering the system.
"We've already identified the locations so it is point repairs," Collingwood said.
The city has already spent "millions" in reducing the infiltration in recent years, Collingwood said. As for the EPA order, Collingwood said "there is no time to stretch" the expenses out. The system has not had any major upgrades in decades and this is the second order issued.
That was in response to Ward 2 Councilor Kevin Morandi's suggestion to level out the raises in sewer rates over a number of years. If the city doesn't get the work completed in time, the city will be fined, Collingwood said.
The sewer rates are already eyed to increase this year by 6.7 percent. Collingwood said the rates haven't gone up in three years — so the increase is about 2 percent per year — and is mostly driven by capital projects and the changes to the retirement system.
Collingwood produced a five-year capital plan for the city's sewer system with a daunting cost of $36.6 million. However, many of those estimates are far from exact so the impacts those projects will have on rates is unknown.
"I think once I have more definite number, then I can come back and say this is where I see the rates will be," he said.
The city's water system was also approved for a $750,000 appropriation — this also needs the full council's approval — for three projects. Collingwood said the money is eyed for assessments of the water plants; expanding a water main down West Street from Valentine to Forthill; and improvements to the upper Sackett Reservoir dam.
Collingwood said a new water tank is eventually expected to be installed at Berkshire Community College. The project to expand the water line was designed in 2010.
"It ties into the need for another water tank in the western pressure zone," he said.
The dam project complies with orders from the state Office of Dam Safety and is the next of many dam repairs the city has been making. But the hiring of a consultant to assess the treatment plants triggered questions from the councilors.
Ward 4 Councilor Christopher Connell asked why the work couldn't be done by city engineers. And whether it would be worth the investment to get the city's staff engineers the training needed to do such work. Collingwood said there is no one on staff with the expertise needed for to produce a "guidance document as we look to rehabilitate facilities."
Nonetheless, the expense was approved by the subcommittee. Now it will be up to the full City Council to authorize it.
Tags: capital spending, septic, treatment plant, wastewater,
.jpg)
