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Authority engineer outlines Porter Road WWTP design changes, sludge plan and financing timeline
Summary
At its April 14 meeting the Lower Pottsgrove Township Authority received an engineering update on the proposed Porter Road wastewater treatment plant: land needs, a shift in sludge handling to a two-stage aerobic digester with a belt filter press and the expected post-construction loan rates. Staff said a fuller financial analysis will follow.
Fred Ebert, the Authority engineer, told the Lower Pottsgrove Township Authority on April 14 that design and cost details for the proposed Porter Road wastewater treatment plant are still being finalized and that updated information is expected in the coming weeks.
Ebert said he has reviewed materials from Aqua Aerobics and returned questions and revisions; tank-manufacturer pricing and operational-cost updates are in hand but staff still need final numbers to complete a financial analysis. About eight acres comprise the Porter Road parcel, Edward C. Wagner, the Authority manager, said, and "about three and a half (3.5) acres would be needed for the treatment plant," Ebert added.
Why it matters: the treatment plant is a major capital project that will affect long-term operations, sludge-handling costs and future borrowing. Joe McGeehan asked how much money would be borrowed; Ebert said the Authority expects interest-only payments during construction, followed by a fixed rate of 1.9% for the first five years and 2.1% for years five through twenty. The exact loan amount was not specified at the meeting.
Ebert said sludge handling is being reworked because initial liquid-hauling costs were too high: the engineering team is considering a two-stage aerobic digester, a belt filter press and land application as an alternative. Those changes will affect electrical load and operating costs; Ebert noted high-efficiency motors were not yet accounted for in the electrical estimate.
Capital‑equipment timing discussed at the same meeting may affect startup sequencing: the belt filter press is expected to arrive in May or June and take two to three weeks to install, with a target operational date of July 1, while the UV system delivery was pushed to the first week of October. Ebert said he expected the updated Aqua Aerobics responses back by the middle of next week so he can finish the financial analysis and provide numbers for Mr. McGeehan to review.
Next steps: staff will finalize the financial analysis when updated vendor responses arrive and return to the Authority with cost and schedule updates; no formal vote on the Porter Road project occurred at the April 14 meeting.
