NOTICES
PENNSYLVANIA INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AUTHORITY
DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Environmental Assessment Approval for PENNVESTFunding Consideration
[53 Pa.B. 5860]
[Saturday, September 16, 2023]Scope: Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Projects for consideration at the October 18, 2023, Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) Board meeting.
Description: PENNVEST, which administers the Commonwealth's Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), is intended to be the funding source for the following projects. The Department of Environmental Protection's (Department) review of these projects, and the information received in the Environmental Report for these projects, has not identified any significant, adverse environmental impact resulting from any of the proposed projects. The Department hereby approves the Environmental Assessment for each project. If no significant comments are received during this comment period, the Environmental Assessment will be considered approved and funding for the project will be considered by PENNVEST.
To be considered, the Department must receive comments on this approval on or by Monday, October 16, 2023. Comments, including comments submitted by e-mail, must include the commentator's name and address. Commentators are encouraged to submit comments using the Department's online eComment tool at www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/eComment. Written comments can also be submitted by e-mail to ecomment@pa.gov or by mail to the Policy Office, Department of Environmental Protection, Rachel Carson State Office Building, P.O. Box 2063, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2063. Use ''PENNVEST SRF-Environmental Assessment'' as the subject line in written communication.
For more information about the approval of the following Environmental Assessments or the CWSRF and DWSRF Programs, contact Richard Wright, Bureau of Clean Water, Department of Environmental Protection, P.O. Box 8774, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8774, (717) 772-4059, riwright@pa.gov, or visit the Department's web site at www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Water/CleanWater/InfrastructureFinance/Pages/default.aspx.
Comments received during the comment period, along with the Department's comment and response document, will be available on the Department's web site at www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Water/CleanWater/InfrastructureFinance/Pages/EnvironmentalReview.aspx.
Upon approval, the full list of approved projects and their costs can be found in a press release on PENNVEST's web site at www.pennvest.pa.gov.
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CWSRF Projects Being Considered:
Applicant: Deer Creek Drainage Basin Authority County: Allegheny Applicant Address: 945 Little Deer Creek Valley Road
Russellton, PA 15076Project Description: The Deer Creek Drainage Basin Authority proposes to replace an existing extended aeration treatment facility which was originally permitted in 1975. The new facility will keep the same hydraulic design capacity of 0.04 million gallons per day (MGD). The facility will have a peak instantaneous flow of 0.16 MGD and an organic design capacity of 95 lbs. 5-day biological oxygen demand per day. The plant will be replaced with a new precast concrete treatment plant including aeration, clarification and disinfection. There will be also 500 linear feet of site piping and restoration. In addition, the Deer Creek Drainage Basin Authority proposes to clean and replace or repair existing sanitary sewer collection system piping and appurtenances throughout its system. The work will consist of repairing 10,031 linear feet of 8-inch pipe through steam cured lining installed by pre-cleaning, pre-televising and post-televising in areas containing defects within the lines. About 3,000 linear feet will be heavily cleaned and four district areas will have active infiltration control. Approximately 45 protruding taps are anticipated to be removed and 180 connections reinstated. In addition, dig and replace areas are proposed as infrastructure repairs in correcting the defects of the lines within the system.
Problem Description: The Deer Creek Drainage Basin Authority proposes to replace the existing sewage treatment plant serving the Hampshire Estates residential development in West Deer Township, Allegheny County. The existing Hampshire Estates Sewage Treatment Plant was constructed in the 1970's. The existing treatment facility is an underground steel structure experiencing structural distress with heavy corrosion and has reached the end of its useful life. The replacement or rehabilitation, or both, of existing sanitary sewer system components will correct defects by either lining or replacing pipes and manholes. During significant rainfall events, the Deer Creek Drainage Basin Authority is experiencing sanitary sewer overflows at the Rich Hill Pump Station (PS). This is due to the multiple defects within the collection system. These defects need to be corrected for improved infrastructure health of the collection system due to the inflow and infiltration the defects are causing.
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Applicant: Rimersburg Borough Municipal Authority County: Clarion Applicant Address: 27 Main Street
Rimersburg, PA 16248Project Description: The Rimersburg Borough Municipal Authority is proposing to upgrade its existing wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The upgrades to the WWTP include increasing the capacity from 200,000 gallons per day (GPD) to 400,000 GPD, installing a grit removal chamber and automated bar screening system and building, installing a second sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and installing new mechanical components for the existing SBR. It also includes lining the existing lagoon and permitting for use as an equalization basin, upgrading the supervisory control and data acquisition system, blowers and control building, and installing a new chlorine sterilization and dechlorination system to replace the existing chlorine system.
Problem Description: The WWTP was constructed in the early 1970's with a permitted hydraulic capacity of 200,000 GPD. It currently comprises of a manual bar rack, two SBRs, digestor and chlorine contact tank. The plant does not contain solids handling equipment, therefore liquid sludge is periodically hauled from the site in trucks to other plants for disposal. It is undersized and antiquated. On average, the plant overflows 4-5 times each year. Additionally, it does not have automated sampling controls or telemetry so that the operator can make treatment adjustments remotely.
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Applicant: Aqua Pennsylvania County: Luzerne Applicant Address: 762 Lancaster Avenue
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010Project Description: Aqua Pennsylvania proposes to upgrade the Laurel Lakes WWTP. This upgrade includes replacing or rehabilitating multiple treatment components at the plant, including the comminutor and bypass bar racks, influent splitter box and the extended aeration wastewater treatment tanks. Additionally, a third treatment train and pumps will be added to ensure that the components can be taken offline for maintenance activities, while also ensuring redundancy. The existing aeration blowers will be removed from the operations building and relocated, and additional tank covers and grating with Institutional Biosafety Committee approved service platforms, walkways and railing systems will be installed.
Problem Description: The Laurel Lakes WWTP, located in Rice Township, Luzerne County, is approaching the end of its useful life and needs replacement or rehabilitation to operate more efficiently and safely. Additionally, there are multiple public and environmental health concerns including staff exposure to excessive noise levels caused by the existing aeration blowers and potential for slips and trips on service platforms, walkways and railing systems.
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Applicant: Aqua Pennsylvania County: Luzerne Applicant Address: 762 Lancaster Avenue
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010Project Description: Aqua Pennsylvania proposes to upgrade the Rivercrest WWTP. This upgrade includes replacing or rehabilitating multiple treatment components at the plant. At the headworks of the plant, the influent sampling location will be moved as well as adding an automatically controlled pH adjustment system. The secondary treatment tank will be repaired or replaced. The aeration blowers will be replaced and relocated. The sludge holding tank will be replaced or repaired and be upgraded to allow for the ability to control the wasting and decanting processes. The disinfection system will be upgraded from a sodium hypochlorite system to an ultraviolet disinfection system. A dechlorination process will also be added to the facility. The waste from the existing bathroom in the operations building will also be re-routed to the WWTP instead of the existing onlot disposal system.
Problem Description: The Rivercrest WWTP is in Tunkhannock Township, Wyoming County. The treatment plant has been in service for over 50 years and some treatment components such as the secondary treatment tank, sludge holding tank and existing aeration blowers are approaching the end of their useful lives, while other components need upgraded to operate more efficiently and safely. The pH adjustment of the influent is currently controlled manually and is not operator friendly. The existing dechlorination process is not efficient and effective. Additionally, there are multiple public and environmental health concerns including staff exposure to excessive noise levels caused by the existing aeration blowers and the existing bathroom in the operations building discharges into an onlot disposal system of an unknown condition.
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Applicant: Lancaster Area Sewer Authority County: Lancaster Applicant Address: 130 Centerville Road
Lancaster, PA 17603Project Description: The Silver Spring PS upgrade includes replacing the existing PS with a new wet-pit submersible PS, a new approximately 4,200 linear feet 10-inch force main and new mechanical and electrical systems. Three Flygt submersible sewage pumps will be installed at the PS. The pumps will discharge through a valve/meter vault to the new force main which will convey the PS effluent to an existing manhole. This new system will separate the Silver Spring PS from Farmdale PS, which currently share a force main.
Problem Description: The Silver Spring PS is in West Hempfield Township in the village of Silver Spring. The pump capacity is exceeded during wet weather peak flow events, resulting in the wet well surcharging and the immediate upstream manhole overflowing. As a result, the Lancaster Area Sewer Authority has been restricting the connection of new dwelling units. Additionally, the Lancaster Area Sewer Authority's consulting engineer concluded that the underground steel dry well has reached the end of its useful life and has a high risk of failure.
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Applicant: Lancaster Area Sewer Authority County: Lancaster Applicant Address: 130 Centerville Road
Lancaster, PA 17603Project Description: The Landisville 1 PS upgrade includes replacing the existing PS with a new wet-pit submersible pumping station, replacing the existing mechanical and electrical systems, upgrading the capacity of the upstream influent gravity interceptor and diverting the PS effluent around the existing downstream gravity interceptors through a new 9,000 linear feet 8-inch force main. The pumps will discharge through a valve/meter vault to the new force main, which will convey the PS effluent to an existing manhole.
Problem Description: The Landisville 1 PS is in East Hempfield Township between the villages of Landisville and Salunga. The pump capacity is exceeded during wet weather peak flow events. As a result, the Lancaster Area Sewer Authority is forced to request upstream industries to stop operations when the PS is overloaded. The station is original to the Lancaster Area Sewer Authority's system and the underground steel dry well needs to be replaced due to its condition and risk of failure. Due to the station's limitations, the Lancaster Area Sewer Authority has had to refuse requests for additional capacity.
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DWSRF Projects Being Considered:
Applicant: Conemaugh Township Municipal Authority County: Somerset Applicant Address: P.O. Box 429
113 South Main Street
Davidsville, PA 15928Project Description: This project mainly consists of the installation of approximately 50,000 linear feet of variouswaterline sizes, approximately 14,000 linear feet of service lines, the replacement of approximately 561 curb stop assemblies and installation of approximately 561 meter pits. This project also consists of rehabilitating the Jerome and Davidsville PSs. The PSs will receive new variable frequency drives and related equipment, a direct replacement of pumps and motors and valve replacements. This project will eliminate the frequent leaks and greatly lower maintenance costs. The project will affect approximately 561 customers in Conemaugh Township and Jenner Township. These customers will have new water service lines and meter pit assemblies installed.
Problem Description: The Conemaugh Township Municipal Authority (CTMA) owns and operates the water treatment facility and distribution system located in Somerset County. CTMA's existing water facilities were largely installed in the 1980's and are approximately 40 years old. Some parts of the system are even older. The existing waterline is already passed its design life and is not feasible to maintain. These leaks have led to decreased water quality, distribution system operation issues and decreased pressure to CTMA customers.
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Applicant: Schuylkill County Municipal Authority County: Schuylkill Applicant Address: 221 South Centre Street
Pottsville, PA 17901Project Description: The Schuylkill County Municipal Authority (SCMA) proposes the construction of a 2.3-million gallon (MG) finished water storage tank to provide for operational flexibility and additional supply to provide resiliency for operations in their Broad Mountain system. The proposed Broad Mountain tank No. 2 will be located in New Castle Township, Schuylkill County, at the same site as the existing Broad Mountain tank No. 1 near the Broad Mountain Water Treatment Plant (WTP). The tank's influent and effluent piping will be connected to the existing WTP's 24-inch main. Broad Mountain tank No. 2 is a proposed 2.3-MG prestressed concrete water tank that will be designed, fabricated and erected in accordance with the American Water Works Association D110 Standard. The tank will be equipped with appropriate appurtenances including overflow, pressure-vacuum relief vent, access hatches, inlet/outlet piping, drain piping, safety ladders and safety devices. Access hatches and vents will be equipped with locking devices. The overflow elevation of proposed Broad Mountain tank No. 2 will match the existing tank No. 1's overflow elevation. This overflow elevation provides a minimum pressure of 30 pounds per square inch (psi) throughout the SCMA main system during normal system conditions, consistent with accepted waterworks practice. Similarly, the storage facilities can provide a minimum pressure of 20 psi throughout the main system during fire flow conditions.
Problem Description: Problems addressed by this project include resolving limited emergency water storage to offset temporary supply concerns, providing for operational flexibility and addressing the difficulties encountered in taking the existing 1.0-MG Broad Mountain tank No. 1 out of service for repair as it is crucial for system operations. Proposed improvements will enhance SCMA's ability to operate and maintain the system and increase the reliability of service.
RICHARD NEGRIN,
Secretary
Department of Environmental ProtectionROBERT H. BOOS,
Executive Director
Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 23-1270. Filed for public inspection September 15, 2023, 9:00 a.m.]
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