Several projects are nearing completion for the Bradford Sanitary Authority (BSA).
The Pine Street/Boylston Street project involving the rehabilitation of the sewer main is down to minor punch list items, including a Mandrel Test of the main, which is typically done around 30 days after work has been completed. A video recording of the new main, another punch list item, has been completed but has not yet been submitted to the BSA.
Meanwhile, progress on Phase 3 of the rehabilitation project at the wastewater treatment plant continues to move forward. Engineer Jack Rae explained the project is 99.7% finished, and the hope is to have the contractors complete their work by November so the entire project can be wrapped up by February 2021.
Mazza had a representative on site Tuesday, working on punch list items.
In other business, the BSA has been contacted by Lafayette Township regarding a possible sewer extension project on Droney Road that would require 30 EDUs. Disney noted that with the completion of the wastewater treatment plant rehabilitation project, the authority has the capacity to provide service for those additional EDUs and also has an interceptor in place that is capable of providing the flow for the project.
The township’s next step is correspondence with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) about the project. Disney requested the BSA be kept informed of the progress of the project planning.
Also, BSA Interim Director Steve Disney and Rae introduced a potential resolution to an issue that has been in contention between the BSA and Bradford Flood Authority — a manhole that protrudes from the flood plain near the wastewater treatment plant.
Disney explained that they had bid out the project to lower the manhole by two feet and received two bids in the $10,000 range, one from Hickes Associates and one from Dean Construction LLC of Smethport. Belser Hale Inc. of Bradford had also submitted a bid of $4,870, for an alternative plan of action. The BSA had informed the contractors they were open to alternative proposals, and approved a motion to accept the proposal from Belser Hale, which involves removing the top section and mid-barrel section of the project and replacing the mid-barrel section with a four foot segment, then replacing the top section. This proposal is thought to save both labor and cost over the originally proposed plan. Two triaxle loads of materials will also have to be removed from the site as well, and upon completion the only element protruding from the ground will be the manhole cover.
Disney noted that upon further investigation into the matter, he found that in January of this year, an alternative easement had been written up and submitted to the Flood Authority, but it had not been signed by either the Flood Authority or the BSA and had not been submitted to Smethport for record purposes. Therefore, a new easement will need to be written up and signed by both authorities, and following the completion of the work, the issue will be resolved.
BSA approved a resolution to accept the bid from Belser Hale Inc., with one vote against.
The next step is to contact the Flood Authority to determine an acceptable timeframe for the work to be completed, based on the season and available time left in the year for construction work.
Two board members also voiced concerns about the lack of cooperation between the two authorities in regard to this issue, stating that a “greater cooperative effort going forward” would be preferable.
A recent DEP inspection of the wastewater treatment plant received favorable comments from the inspector, even though some non-compliance issues were found. One issue was the lack of an accredited supervisor for the lab, which has been temporarily resolved.
Treatment Plant Manager Donnie Hayden and two other staff members plan to complete the necessary training for accreditation in the Spring to avert a similar issue going forward.
Another area of non-compliance was failure to maintain a permitted treatment unit — a result of the issues with the primary pump and the need to bypass the main tanks. All necessary treatment is still being done, and the hope is to have the parts to fix the primary pump in hand this week, with repairs expected to take one week to complete. Once the primary pump is operational, pump 3 will be removed to have work done, as it is showing signs of similar issues. A full analysis of pump 2 will be completed once pump 3 is operational.
Members of the Derrick City Volunteer Fire Department and the City of Bradford FD participated in a walkthrough of the plant, which allowed employees to discuss potential issues with emergency responders and receive input.
Disney noted the walkthrough went well and the BSA hopes to make it an annual event.
Robert Veilleux, the McKean County Economic Development liaison, also attended Tuesday’s meeting and highlighted some funding opportunities that might be beneficial to the authority, as well as offering his assistance for any future grants or loans the authority chooses to pursue.
Veilleux also discussed a project that the county is in the process of completing — the installation of new technology in certain areas to provide high speed internet access to residents who have not previously had that option. During the shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic in the spring, the lack of access was highlighted. Funding through the CARES Act has made this project to provide that access possible, Veilleux explained. The current focus is finding locations with electricity to place the equipment. Locations that are currently under consideration include the Prospect Hill 911 Tower, the McKean County 911 Center, the Airport water tank and the ATA Tower on Songbird Hill, Veilleux stated.
A second phase next year will hopefully allow for additional equipment placement in other areas of the county.
