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Authority engineer outlines sludge-reduction plan for proposed Porter Road wastewater plant
Summary
The Authority received updated process calculations for the proposed Porter Road wastewater treatment plant; the engineer said a two-stage sludge process could cut sludge disposal costs about 40%, and updated budgets are expected in April before financing is presented to the Board of Commissioners.
Fred Ebert, the Authority engineer, told the Lower Pottsgrove Township Authority on March 10 that Aqua Aerobics has provided updated process calculations for the proposed wastewater treatment plant on Porter Road and recommended a two-stage sludge processing approach that he estimates would reduce sludge disposal costs by about 40%.
The recommendation, Ebert said, is intended to improve sludge management and lower ongoing operating costs. He said he authorized Aqua Aerobics to proceed with revisions and expects updated operational and construction budgets by April. Ebert said the Authority’s next step is to meet with Joe McGeehan to review financing options so the proposal can be presented to the Board of Commissioners; if the board accepts the plan, Act 537 sewage-planning would begin, he added. Ebert also said he has requested preliminary discharge standards from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to inform design and permit work.
The details matter because sludge-handling choices affect both capital and long-term operating budgets for any new treatment facility. Ebert reported the engineering revisions are expected to produce a meaningful reduction in recurring disposal costs and to influence the operational budget assumptions that will be part of the financing presentation to the Board of Commissioners.
Authority Manager Edward C. Wagner confirmed the schedule and said the Authority will likely hold a separate meeting to review all compiled information rather than cover it in a regular monthly session.
Next steps: Ebert expects the updated budgets in April, a financing review with Mr. McGeehan, and then a presentation to the Board of Commissioners that could trigger Act 537 planning and subsequent DEP permitting work.
