Bradford Sanitary Authority continued discussions at Tuesday’s meeting of Phase III construction slated to happen at the wastewater treatment plant.
On Monday and Tuesday, there were meetings at the plant with parties including engineering company Gannett Fleming and structural and architectural engineers to talk about the project, said plant manager Barry Anderson.
Engineer Jack Rae said there will be a meeting today with a consultant to discuss the possibility of turning rapid infiltration basins into equalization basins. For a new sludge dewatering process, the authority is considering changing sand beds to reed beds.
The sand beds are eight to 10 acres, and Rae thinks they “need about four acres to convert them to reed beds.” He noted they would have to remove some sand, as there is currently a depth of about eight feet of sand, where they would only need about one foot for the new project.
The authority plans to apply for PENNVEST funding to assist with the project, but Rae noted the authority is working with a tight schedule. He noted the authority needs to get approval from Bradford City for an Act 537 special study, and they will need to advertise for public comment.
Regarding the recently completed Phase II portion, Rae said the authority is still waiting for a pre-final inspection report from the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Also at the meeting, Brocius said the authority has continued since the October meeting to work on a project in which a cellphone tower is to be put on authority property across Seaward Avenue from the wastewater treatment plant.
According to Brocius, the authority has hired Vertical Consultants to assist with regulating the site.
Regarding the authority’s electric rate, the group has also opted to stay with NorthEast Energy Advisors after considering the options, according to Brocius. Estimates indicate the authority will be saving about $13,000 a year during the term of the contract.
Meanwhile, Continental Construction of Ridgway is moving along with sewer rehab work in the city’s collection system, said Anderson. One of the larger pieces of the work — a Walker Avenue project — is expected to be done in a couple of weeks. “They’re good at their job,” he said of the company.
Authority board member Bob Esch noted that Continental Construction was recently recognized for its safety efforts.
Another authority board member, Norm Strotman, noted that Brocius and Anderson have started the process of planning the 2017 budget. They plan to vote on the budget during the December meeting, he said.
After the regular meeting, the authority met for an executive session, which Chairman Bob Douglas simply said was for an update.
