H2M WASselected by the Village of Patchogue in 2004 to prepare the engineering feasibility study followed by the Facility Plan in 2005 and design in 2007 to upgrade and expand from the existing 0.5 million gallons per day (MGD) rotating biological contractor (BNC) facility to a facility with new 0.8 MGD biological nutrient removal (BNR) processing and sludge thickening treatment processes.
The design also incorporated future expansion capability to 1.2 MGD. With the new facility improvements, the Village of Patchogue has been able to provide better effluent quality discharge through the new process improvements thereby directly impacting the quality of the Patchogue River and South Shore Estuary Reserve. Additionally, the new facility allows the Village to expand the sewer district and accommodate future development and revitalization of the Patchogue waterfront.
Raw sewage from the existing collection system is introduced into the new system through a new grinder and auger for solids removal followed by an aerated grit removal system. From a pump station using converted existing tanks, raw sewage is sent to new process tanks. Flow is diverted to an anoxic tank for denitrification followed by an aerated process tank for nitrification. The process which aerates and nitrifies the wastewater is the energy efficient Integrated Fixtaed Film Activated Sludge System or IFAS system using the STM-Aerotor. This novel system provides the oxygen necessary for biological processing through hollow discs attached to rotating wheels within the tanks. Once processed, the wastewater flows by gravity to a splitter box followed by settling through two new clarifiers. Effluent from the clarifiers is sent to and treated through two ultraviolet (UV) disinfection channels which house two banks each of lamps. The UV system replaces chlorine disinfection. The treated wastewater is then discharged to the Patchogue River. Waste sludge produced by the biological process is discharged to a membrane sludge thickening system. The existing digester and primary tank were converted to transfer and thicken waste sludge from 0.5% to 3% sludge for final disposal.
Funding for the project was received through a number of sources, including $1.7 million from the CW/CA Bond Act and Environmental Protection Fund Grant provided by the New York State Department of Conservation; $2.8 million from the Green Grant Reserve; and $2.8 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The remaining $3 million was subsidized by a 20 year low interest loan through the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation.
We helped prepare the necessary applications and supporting documentation (including a full environmental assessment) to procure this funding. During project construction, we were retained to ensure contractors were adhering to the requirements of ARRA and NYSEFC in order for the Village to maintain these funding sources. Responsibilities included: verifying compliance with M/WBE and American Iron and Steel requirements; preparing quarterly progress status reports required by NYSEFC; providing close-out documents and final project certification to NYSEFC.
