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Committee advances $28.06M Valley View wastewater plant replacement and expansion plan
Summary
A revised engineering report raised the Valley View Wastewater Treatment Plant project estimate to $28,064,378.50; Delaware Engineering presented plans to build a new 250,000 gpd plant (designed to expand) to meet updated SPDES permit requirements and consolidate county 911 Campus flows, with DEC review pending and a target construction completion in fall 2027.
The Ways and Means Committee moved forward a substantially revised capital request to replace and expand the Valley View Wastewater Treatment Plant. Legislator Robert C. Sassi presented a motion for a supplemental appropriation of $28,064,378.50 for Project No. 69; the figure reflects an updated engineering report that increases the project's estimated cost from roughly $16.3 million to $28.06 million, a net increase of $11,775,504.50.
Delaware Engineering partner Mary Beth Bianconi summarized the technical and regulatory drivers for the change, telling the committee: "The upgrade is to build a new 250,000 gallon a day wastewater treatment plant that will achieve compliance and consolidate the county facilities in one location." She explained that updated State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit requirements tightened treatment standards (BOD5 and ammonia nitrogen), and that the project scope was expanded to accommodate county 911 Campus flows (the Jail, Sheriff, Medical Examiner and Emergency Services Center). Bianconi said the county has applied for SRF and other funding and expects DEC to finish its permit review soon; the design is intended to be modular and expandable and the presenters said construction could begin with a notice to proceed in fall and a 365‑day schedule targeting fall 2027 completion.
Finance staff and DPW representatives discussed how costs would be allocated among departments. Kerry Gallagher said departments will be charged their portion and will repay principal and interest through operating budgets; Valley View may recoup some capital through Medicaid's capital cost component. The presenters said capital cost includes contingencies and non‑construction costs: the current $28.06 million figure contains an approximate $4.4 million contingency with a capital cost (construction) near $22 million.
Why it matters: the plant was originally built in 1957, has aging equipment and limited redundancy, and the new design aims to meet stricter state discharge standards and avoid compliance penalties while consolidating county wastewater flows on county‑owned land. The revised price and financing approach will be central to upcoming county budget decisions.
