May 2012 - Central Pennsylvania Water Quality Association ("CPWQA"

Volume 24 - Issue 2
May 2012
2012 IMPORTANT
DATES
MAY 11, 2012
Plant Tour, Luncheon and
Business Meeting East Berlin WWTP
Contact: Dave Seibert
(717) 566-3237
JUNE 2-5, 2012
PennTech 2012 - Penn Stater
Conference Center Hotel
Contact: Sue Boynton
(717) 642-9500
JUNE 22, 2012
Awards Meeting/Picnic Rich Valley Golf Course
Contact: Lee Koch
(717) 243-8269
AUGUST 3, 2012
GWTF Golf Tournament Fairview Golf Course
Contact: Wayne Schutz
(717) 566-3237
SEPTEMBER 14, 2012
Plant Tour, Luncheon and
Business Meeting Spring Creek WWTP
Contact: Dave Seibert
(717) 566-3237
NOVEMBER 7, 2012
Trade Fair and Training Expo Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey
Hotel
Contact: Rich Heinick
(717) 805-5498
NEWSLETTER
www.cpwqa.org
President - Rich Heinick
Editor - Mike Mehaffey
EAST BERLIN AREA JOINT AUTHORITY
On May 11th, the East Berlin Area Joint Authority and East Berlin Borough
welcomes CPWQA members to tour its newly upgraded and expanded 243,000
gallon-per-day wastewater treatment facility. Designed by Buchart Horn, Inc., the
new facility achieves Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) technology with
Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBR). The upgraded facility began operating in
December 2010 and has successfully attained its designed goal to treat ammonia
nitrogen and phosphorus, meeting new environmental regulations.
The facility replaced
the Boroughs 55
year-old organically
overloaded facility
(.150
million
gallons per day)
which consisted of
a headworks with
comminutor, main
pumping station,
Dorr-Oliver Duo
Clarigester (for both
primary
and
secondary settling
as
well
as
anaerobic sludge
digestion), trickling filter, aeration tanks for nitrification, final clarifiers, chlorine
contact tank, and sludge drying beds. The old plant was kept online during
construction of the new plant on the same site.
The plant includes two new SBR tanks with associated equipment, two aerobic
digester tanks, and an operations building to house the suction-lift influent pump
station, blowers, piping and valves, ultraviolet disinfection system, ferric chloride
system, laboratory, and electrical equipment and controls. A fine screen was
installed on the flow entering the concrete SBR tanks, and a cascade at the end
of the plant provides dissolved oxygen in the effluent. As part of the project, the
new 2,000 linear foot Water Street Interceptor provides relief for the existing
interceptor and allows for additional connections. In addition, a new 4,000 linear
foot trunk sewer eliminated the need for a 50-year-old pump station and served
homes in need for public sewage treatment.
(continued on page 3)
Enhancing the Water Quality of the Susquehanna and Potomac River Basins since 1960.
MONT ALTO MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY’S
WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY’S UPGRADE
2012 BOARD MEMBERS
President
Rich Heinick
Gannett Fleming
rheinick@gfnet.com
First Vice-President & State
Representative
Fran McGovern
Brinjac Engineering, Inc.
fmcgovern@brinjac.com
Second Vice-President
Kevin Shannon
CET-GHD Engineering Services
kevin.shannon@ghd.com
Treasurer
Wayne Schutz
Derry Township Municipal Authority
wschutz@dtma.com
Secretary
Trudy Johnston
Material Matters, Inc.
trudy@materialmatters.com
Alternate State Representative
Jess Rosentel
City Of Harrisburg
rosentel@cityofhbg.com
First Trustee
Bob White
CET-GHD Engineering Services
robert.white@ghd.com
Second Trustee
Jim Radtke
Aqua Dynamic Systems, Inc
aquadynm@epix.net
Third Trustee
Bill Weaver
Lower Paxton Township Authority
wweaver@lowerpaxton-pa.gov
Editor
Mike Mehaffey
Gannett Fleming, Inc.
mmehaffey@gfnet.com
P. Fred Heerbrandt, P.E., Wm. F. Hill & Assoc., Inc.
Mont Alto Borough, first settled in 1817 and incorporated in 1915, is today the
home to a branch of the Pennsylvania State University and some 1,700 Borough
residents. The municipality is located about 7 miles north of Waynesboro along
PA Route 997 in Franklin County. The Borough provides utility service to the
residents including water, sewer and electrical service. Water and sewer systems
are owned by the Mont Alto Municipal Authority and operated by Borough
employees, Larson Wenger and Jerry Bakner.
The Authority’s wastewater treatment facility, constructed in the mid-1970’s and
located along Route
997 just south of the
Borough in Quincy
Township, was an
extended aeration
treatment process with
traveling
bridge
clarifiers. Preliminary
treatment included a
comminutor to grind
up inorganic solids
prior to pumping the
wastewater into the
treatment
tanks.
Expanded
sludge
storage capacity had
been added recently to
increase flexibility of
their agricultural use of
biosolids program.
Low alkalinity in the potable water required a continuous feed of caustic soda
to maintain the pH of the treated wastewater prior to project completion. Prior
to discharge of the effluent, the wastewater was chlorinated and passed through
a small lagoon with supplemental aeration where the final chlorine residual was
reduced. The final effluent is discharged to the West Branch of Antietam Creek.
The treatment facility was approximately 40 years old and in poor mechanical
condition and many replacement parts were difficult or impossible to acquire.
The facility also struggled with the occasional high flows experienced during wet
weather events. The Authority decided due to the age of the facility and the
related maintenance problems, and in anticipation of new effluent limits that
may include nutrient treatment, that they should proceed with a project to upgrade
the facility.
Following a review of the existing site and facilities, engineers with Wm. F. Hill
& Assoc., Inc. proposed using the existing aeration and clarifier basins to support
a continuous SBR process. Using these existing basins would allow the facility
to maintain an average daily treatment capacity of 360,000 gpd and increase
peak treatment to 750,000 gpd for “storm” flows. A mechanical bar screen with
¼” bar spacing and a screenings washer and compactor were installed to replace
the comminutor. This allowed inorganic wastes to be removed as opposed to
(continued on page 3)
EAST BERLIN AREA JOINT AUTHORITY
continued from page 1
The project required Buchart Horn Inc. and the Borough to work closely with state and local officials, developers,
and neighboring townships. During preparation of the Act 537 Plan, it became apparent that a regional Authority
was necessary. Thus, the East Berlin Area Joint Authority was established in 2007 to effectively move this vital
infrastructure project forward. Following its establishment, the Authority invested $8.1 million in the facility
upgrades. These improvements brought its wastewater treatment operations into compliance substantially improving
the quality of water discharged from the plant into the Conewago Creek and ultimately protecting the Chesapeake
Bay. These upgrades also allowed 139 area on-lot systems to be taken out of service.
The plant design and construction made use of the small area on the site available for new construction. Other
than realigning the effluent piping, the 55-year old plant remained untouched until the all-new facility was ready
to receive the influent sewage. Despite beginning the plant in a very cold time of year, the plant began meeting
discharge limits the first month it was in placed service.
MONT ALTO... continued from page 2
shredding them, where they can become entangled in the treatment
tank’s aeration system. A UV disinfection system was installed to
eliminate the use of chlorine.
The total Construction Bid (General Contractor Conewago Enterprises,
Inc. and Electrical Contractor PSI Pumping Solutions, Inc.) was $2.12
million and total change orders on the construction project were less
than 1% of the bid cost. The new process should reduce operations
costs by aerating only according to oxygen demand, reducing alum
costs through biological phosphorus removal, and eliminating caustic
soda addition through alkalinity recovery during denitrification.
Bill Jones, O & M Superintendent of Swatara
Township Authority was recently diagnosed with
pancreatic cancer. Bill and his wife Ivy have
created a website at Caring Bridge to share his
health news and receive support. Please visit
Bill’s website at www.caringbridge.org/visit/
JonesBill to leave them messages and read his
updates on his treatments and his thoughts. His
mailing address is 43 Tuscany Court, Camp Hill,
PA 17011. Bill and Ivy are very appreciative of all the support they
have been receiving.
PASS IT ON...
AND BE
REWARDED!!!!!
Recruit new members for a chance
to win prizes or a discount off your
next CPWQA registration!
PLUS – earn the Ripple Effect
Award when you recruit the most
new members in 2012!
Contact us
for more information
(717) 732-2707 or
cpwqainfo@gmail.com
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CPWQA BOARD:
Francis McGovern
1. How long have you been a member of CPWQA? 1987
2. Where do you work and what is your position? I work for Brinjac Engineering, Inc. My
position is Senior Environmental Specialist.
3. Where did you go to College and what is your degree? I received an Associates of the
Arts Degree from Harrisburg Area Community College. The rest has been on the job
training.
4. What do you think is the most noticeable change in Wastewater since you began your career? Probably
advancements in technology with respect to instrumentation, automation, and process modifications. What
do you see being the biggest change in the next 20 years? Who will be running these facilities? Given the
average age of the current operations work force, we will be looking at contract operations or engineering
firms taking over these facilities unless we are able to entice younger people into entering this field.
5. How would you like to like to see CPWQA improved? In line with question 4, work with PWEA on
educating colleges, trade schools, and vocational schools on the opportunities in this field. Also educate the
current entities that own/operate these facilities that salaries will need to be kept in line with the technology
used and the responsibilities placed on the operators.
6. Tell me something that would surprise your peers. For example, interests outside of work, family, funny
incidents. I have been working in wastewater for nearly 38 years now. I have known a lot of these people
in the association for most of that time. I don’t think there are many things that would surprise anybody. I
have thoroughly enjoyed my time in this field. My kids and now grandkids have never thought it strange
that I have worked in poop for so long. They all love the saying “it may be poop to you but it’s our bread
and butter”.
7. What do you like to do in your spare time. Volleyball, golf, martial arts, and 1960’s muscle cars but most of
all is to spend time with my family. I have three children of my own and 8 grandchildren. They all live in the
area so I feel blessed that my wife and I can spend a lot of time with all of them. It also gives me the
opportunity to influence them into becoming New York Yankee and Green Bay Packer Fans.
AVAILABLE EQUIPMENT
FLUSHER FOR SALE
1996 SuperProducts EJ1500 Sewer Jetter.
International truck chassis. 82,000 miles.
New Myers water pump installed April 2011 (has approx. 100 hours).
Truck needs minor cosmetic work. Municipal owned. $30,000. Please
contact Lower Paxton Township Authority at (717) 657-5617 for more
information.
1981 FORD TW10 TRACTOR WITH DISKS
For more information go to www.mechanicsburgborough.org
and click on the Equipment For Sale tab.
Equipment still usable, owner going Class A.
To advertise available equipment in future newsletters, contact Mike Mehaffey at mmehaffey@gfnet.com
David J. Szczotka
PO Box 583
DuBois, Pennsylvania 15801
tel 814-375-5214
fax 814-375-2763
pollutech@zitomedia.net
DISTRIBUTORS & MANUFACTURER'S
REPRESENTATIVE
Water and Wastewater Products
Pumps, Controls, Packaged Pump Stations
199 S. Forrest Ave, Norristown PA 19401
Ph 610-277-6444 Fx 610-277-3797
Cell 484-213-2520
Email smwhitby@cwsalescorp.com
www.cwsalescorp.com
2012
TRADE FAIR
Start your engines and mark your calendars now for the 2012 Trade Fair, Training Exposition, and CPWQA 500, to
be held Wednesday, November 7, 2012, at the Harrisburg-Hershey Sheraton located on Lindle Road, just east of route
283. The Trade Fair will feature up to 54 vendor exhibits between 10:00am and 1:30pm, and CPWQA is working with
DEP to be approved to award one DEP contact hour to those who spend approximately 2-1/2 hours time in the exhibit
hall and special topic training sessions and complete two exhibitor interaction activities. The Trade Fair will also feature
a choice of three training sessions between 8:00am and 10:00am for which 2 DEP contact hours will be awarded.
Finally, the Trade Fair committee is also considering conducting a second training session between 3:00pm and 5:00pm,
for which an additional 2 DEP contact hours will be awarded. If you would be willing to attend an afternoon
training session, please notify CPWQA at cpwqainfo@gmail.com and use “Trade Fair Training” in the
subject line. Throughout the day, we will feature a NASCAR racing theme, as attendees participate in technical
inspection (morning training); the CPWQA 500 (exhibition hall activities); Pit Stop (buffet lunch and networking time);
Victory Circle (business meeting and door prizes), and Additional Track Time (afternoon training).
Regular admission price will be $35.00; however, current CPWQA members, and their employers can pre-purchase
admission vouchers for $30.00, prior to July 1, 2012.
To arrange for purchase of a voucher, contact Rich Heinick at: rheinick@gfnet.com
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA WATER
QUALITY ASSOCIATION
PO Box 705
Hershey, PA 17033-0705
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
HARRISBURG, PA
PERMIT NO. 98
PRSRT STD