Chautauqua County approves environmental review, bond measures to upgrade North Chautauqua Lake sewer plant

Mayville, N.Y. — The Chautauqua County Legislature on April 23 completed state environmental review and approved bond and capital measures to move forward with upgrades to the North Chautauqua Lake Sewer District wastewater treatment plant in Mayville.

Engineer Matt Sarbo of Square Engineering briefed the Legislature on a district evaluation that found the plant ‘‘at or over capacity for nearly every major unit process’’ and recommended a major upgrade to a more flexible treatment technology. After the presentation the Legislature adopted SEQRA findings, determinations, a capital account, authorized grant applications and approved bond resolutions to fund the work.

The study presented to the Legislature said the plant’s average daily flow is about 320,000 gallons per day (gpd) and that the plant has design ratings roughly in the 500,000–550,000 gpd range. Sarbo said the recorded maximum flow was 2,000,000 gpd but cautioned the flow meter caps out, meaning the true peak may be higher. He described a range of capital options: a modest in-kind upgrade estimated at about $3,750,000; retaining the existing RBC technology while expanding capacity at roughly $8,100,000; and converting to an activated sludge or similar advanced system at about $10,100,000. Sarbo said the study team recommended the larger, more flexible treatment system despite the higher initial cost because of limited…