By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • 0 Comments

Water System Modernization Project

This project’s goal was to provide a supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA) to monitor all of the facilities that serve the Wallkill Consolidated Water District, which will allow for faster emergency response times and remote monitoring of critical system processes.

The scope of this project and the interdependence of the facilities in the Wallkill Consolidated Water District required close attention to the order in which the work was performed. The first hurdle was to begin the project quickly enough to properly evaluate the communication viability, before the tree cover was lost. Next, it was critical that the facilities not be taken offline during the construction process, which demanded that both the general and electrical contractors maintain close communication with each other, KC, and the Wallkill water operators. By maintaining a strict order of tasks, water service interruption was avoided.

KC managed the construction process for this project, including the bid and submittal processes, shop drawing review, construction inspection, and supervision of additional inspectors. KC also worked extensively on documenting the project progress, which included as-built plans, and creating a detailed map and description of the Town of Wallkill’s newly modernized consolidated water district.

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • 0 Comments

Town of Wallkill Sludge Dewatering Project

The existing dewatering equipment at the Wallkill Wastewater Treatment Plant was 26 years old and in need of replacement. The equipment is operated seven days per week for six hours per day. Current operators were unable to produce a sludge cake with greater than 13% solids, resulting in very high disposal costs.

An evaluation was performed to determine the most effective means of dewatering. Adjustments to MLSS and volatile solids of sludge were made and sludge was processed by multiple vendors utilizing centrifuge, screw press, and belt press equipment. Based on the study, KC recommended installation of the new belt press.

KC replaced the existing two-step dewatering system with a one-step dewatering system. The existing system pumped the sludge from a holding tank with polymer added and sent it to the gravity belt thickener; then it was pumped to a second holding tank. From the second holding tank, the sludge was pumped with polymer added to the belt press. The sludge was finally deposited into the dump trailer below.

The new system pumps sludge from either holding tank with polymer added to the combination gravity / belt press unit to a conveyor system to be deposited in the dump trailer. The existing polymer system, which consists of four 1,000 gallon mixing tanks with polymer, was replaced with two small polymer mixing systems, reducing the start time of the dewatering process. The existing polymer pumps were no longer needed and only two sludge pumps were required. The new system is capable of dewatering the same amount of sludge in half the amount of time as the old system with more consistent output. The new equipment produces a sludge cake with up to 18% solids, reducing disposed costs by up to $100,000 annual of current rates.

By Evan Thomas PRESS RELEASES • • • • 0 Comments

Town of Bethel Receives Grant Funding from the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation

The Town of Bethel, with the assistance of KC Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. (KC) as Town of Bethel Town Engineers, has successfully applied for and received two zero-interest loans from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) section of the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (NYSEFC) for the Town.

This refinancing of approximately $3.5 million in loans, which are presently at market rates and will now be interest-free for up to 30 years, will allow the Town of Bethel to realize important savings on 2 critical projects for the Town’s wastewater infrastructure.

The first project is the Phases 1 and 2 rehabilitation of the Kauneonga Lake Sewer Collection System, which was constructed in the 1940s and is in need of repair. The second project is the construction of a new septage receiving station to supplement the Town’s wastewater plant’s organic processes and bring the plant up to optimal working condition. Both projects were designed and overseen by KC, and the loans are expected to close in December of this year.

“This critical funding from the NYSEFC will allow the Town of Bethel to complete projects needed to ensure that our community has an affordable, sturdy, and sustainable wastewater system that will last for generations,” said Town of Bethel Supervisor Mr. Daniel Sturm.

By Evan Thomas PRESS RELEASES • • • • 0 Comments

Town of Wallkill Receives Cost-Saving Infrastructure Hardening Grant and Loan

KC Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. (KC), as Town of Wallkill Consulting Engineers, has successfully applied for and received a 25% grant and 75% zero interest loan through a grant program funded by the Federal Disaster Relief Appropriations Act designed to fund projects that reduce future storm damage risk and enhance resiliency for natural disasters.

As the Town was presently working on a project to modernize its water system and provide a centralized data acquisition and management system, KC researched the grant and loan to see if the Town qualified and aided in the application process for the modernization project.

A system-wide modernization and installation of a supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA) has been installed to monitor all of the facilities that serve the Wallkill Consolidated Water District, which will allow for faster emergency response times and remote monitoring of critical system processes. This project, which received about $716,000 in grant funding and about $2.2 million from a zero interest loan, will be completed in the fall of 2015.

This will provide the Town with a net financial benefit of $2 million, between the grant funding and loan interest savings, on a project that was already planned and being implemented. The Town is currently pursuing a second project through this program, which will provide emergency water through interconnections to adjoining water systems. This project will provide water connectivity to the Town of Wallkill, Village of Goshen, and City of Middletown to increase their resiliency in the face of natural disasters and other emergencies.

"This grant and loan funding from the Federal Disaster Relief Appropriations Act will allow not only the Town of Wallkill to improve our water infrastructure through our water modernization project, but will also allow the Town of Wallkill, Village of Goshen, and City of Middletown to become more resilient to water emergencies through the water interconnectivity project," said Town of Wallkill Supervisor Mr. Daniel Depew. "If a natural disaster or some kind of water emergency occurs, all three municipalities will be able to utilize the adjoining water systems to provide for the water needs of its residents."