Delaware County awards design contract for new East Elm Creek pump station

Delaware County commissioners approved a professional services agreement with Black & Veatch Corporation to design a new East Elm Creek pump station intended to expand sewer capacity in a developing corridor west of Galena Road, including areas near Sunbury and the outlet mall.

Tiffany Mag, director of environmental services, said the existing pump station near 3637 Africa Road is old and is limiting development to the west of Galena Road. The new station will initially be built to approximately half of its future capacity, with the ability to add pumps later: “So, we’ll build this pump station to about half of its future capacity for now. Eventually, we'll add additional pumps and be able to double the capacity to send even more flow to the new plan in the future,” Mag said.

Mag identified the project site as an easement on Africa Road just south of the existing station; she said Metro recently dedicated the easement to the county. She estimated about a year for design and another year for construction, and said the county will phase work to avoid interfering with election schedules and other facility operations.

The commissioners approved resolution 25-349 with unanimous aye votes from Commissioners Barb Lewis, Gary Merrill and Jeff Benton. County staff said the project is being accelerated because development demand is straining current capacity and because a new treatment plant is not yet online.

Mag said the county was preparing submissions to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on effluent location options for the new treatment plant and that additional updates would follow as the county advances design.