The Bradford City Water Authority has a capital project in the planning phase for improvements to the water treatment plant.
Executive Director Steve Disney explained, “Representatives from Roberts Filters visited the plant to review current treatment equipment and spacing required for potential retrofitting existing treatment units for upflow adsorption equipment. Roberts Filters will be providing the authority with costs for a pilot study regarding upflow adsorption clarifiers.
“Pilot study trials would be a minimum of a two-week trial,” he said. “If the trial is successful, discussions include converting one of the existing Roberts Filters Reliant units into a Pacer II unit, upon completion of the pilot study. This modification would include new filter media, support gravel, porcelain spheres and any hopper repairs found necessary to the precast wheeler bottom underdrain.”
A proposal along with cost estimates is being prepared by Bankson Engineers.
He gave an update on the water meter replacement project, explaining the authority and its engineer have been preparing documents and uploading them to PENNVEST and the Department of Environmental Protection for review.
“They included biddable plans and specifications, specification certifications and a cost-effective analysis,” Disney said. “This $4.12 million project is scheduled to appear on the PENNVEST board meeting agenda on Jan. 22. At that time, PENNVEST will decide which projects get funded and if those funds will be 100% loans or loans/grants.”
The director also gave an update on the Marilla Brook Crossing project.
“Upon inspection of the recent restoration work completed by Cummins Construction to address several deficiencies, it was noted that restoration seeding was very spotty and inconsistent, the straw placed on top of the seeding was also inconsistent and will not accommodate even seed growth,” Disney said. “Cummins Construction made a second attempt at addressing these deficiencies, however the contractor failed to address these issues during the normal growing season despite repeated requests from the authority and its engineer. Therefore this area will need to be reinspected and potentially need reseeding in 2025.”
He continued, “The authority approved retaining $1,500 which is 1.5 times the estimated cost to reseed the area in 2025. The authority also denied Change Order Request Number 4 which totaled $4,532.15, which according to the Cummins change order included fill dirt, topsoil, straw, seed, fertilizer and labor associated with restoration activities.”
Disney said the work at issue wasn’t authorized. “In addition, surface restoration of the project site area was already included in the scope of work outlined in the contract documents.”
Regarding the project for an 8-inch main replacement for the Route 219 pump station, Disney said the authority is working with Continental Construction on contract documents. The authority was awarded an ARPA grant of $265,000 for the project and must provide matching funds to meet the project cost.
For the 12-inch water main replacement on West Washington Street, the board approved an addendum to the timber and mineral agreement “to allow for timber revenue in excess of the annual contractual target of 1.5 million board feet to be used to fund this project, allowing 50% of the project cost to be generated in 2025 and 50% in 2026.”
Ken Kane of Generations Forestry provided a timber report. The boulder blowdown sale is nearly complete. “Watershed roads that do not have active timber sales are now open for hunting activities,” he said. “There are still approximately 200 DMAP deer tags available for watershed areas.” DMAP tags are extra allocated deer harvesting tags issued by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Regarding the Interstate Parkway timber sale, Kane said Generations Forestry has sent a prospectus to a list of potential buyers. A bid opening is planned for 11 a.m. Dec. 11, just prior to that month’s board meeting. “This Interstate Parkway sale is estimated at 519,030 board feet, with the main species being soft and hard maple.”
Disney noted that the December board meeting would be held at noon Dec. 11.
