Oregon Wastewater Upgrade
May 14, 2010
The wastewater upgrade will accomplish three key items necessary for continued satisfactory wastewater service for the City of Oregon.
1.
All of the mechanicals are being replaced that were installed in 1967 and are 43 years old. The pumps, blowers and electric motors are worn out and inefficient and will be replaced with more efficient equipment utilizing the latest technology. Wastewater treatment plant equipment is designed to last 20 years and many components have lasted twice their service life.
All of the mechanicals are being replaced that were installed in 1967 and are 43 years old. The pumps, blowers and electric motors are worn out and inefficient and will be replaced with more efficient equipment utilizing the latest technology. Wastewater treatment plant equipment is designed to last 20 years and many components have lasted twice their service life.2.Eliminating combined sewer overflows into the Rock River during heavy rainfall events is an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency requirement. There are to be no overflows of sewage to rivers and streams and the wastewater upgrade should accomplish this goal. The headworks of the Oregon wastewater treatment plant will have a new influent pumping station with three state of the art 700 gpm pumps replacing two worn out 400 gpm pumps that continually fail.
Eliminating combined sewer overflows into the Rock River during heavy rainfall events is an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency requirement. There are to be no overflows of sewage to rivers and streams and the wastewater upgrade should accomplish this goal. The headworks of the Oregon wastewater treatment plant will have a new influent pumping station with three state of the art 700 gpm pumps replacing two worn out 400 gpm pumps that continually fail. 3.Disposal of wastewater solids is a serious problem because of transportation and land application requirements. Land applying sludge has a limited window of opportunity because of seasonal weather conditions and storage capacity typically becomes a bottleneck. The upgrade will eliminate approximately 80% of the wastewater solids that are land applied using an innovative biosolids destruction process that will save considerable operating expense for the City of Oregon.
Disposal of wastewater solids is a serious problem because of transportation and land application requirements. Land applying sludge has a limited window of opportunity because of seasonal weather conditions and storage capacity typically becomes a bottleneck. The upgrade will eliminate approximately 80% of the wastewater solids that are land applied using an innovative biosolids destruction process that will save considerable operating expense for the City of Oregon. The project consists of a new Influent Pumping Station, converting the existing Primary Clarifier into a Return Activated Sludge Conditioning Tank, rebuilding the existing Secondary Clarifier and installing an additional Secondary Clarifier, installing a Return Activated Sludge Pumping Station, converting the existing Digester into Aeration and Anoxic Reactors, converting the Sludge Storage Tank into an Interchange Reactor, installing new High-Efficiency/High-Speed Turbo Blowers, installing Biosolids Destruction Process equipment, and constructing a new Sludge Separation Module (SSM) Building, which will include a new Laboratory and Electrical Component room. The project includes new electrical and piping and continued use of the original concrete structures from the 1967 package plant upgrade. Additional improvements planned as part of the upgrade will include electronic monitoring equipment for wastewater and water equipment.
Additional improvements are planned for the future after this upgrade is complete, including installation of a Ultraviolet (UV) Disinfection System to replace our existing Chlorination/Dechlorination System, installation of a portable Sludge Dewatering Unit and construction of a new Storage Facility for the remaining 20% solids.
The $5.6 million dollar project is financed through a $3,640,454 20-year no interest loan from the IEPA. We received a $500,000 STAG grant for the Biosolids Destruction Process Equipment and $910,113 in principal forgiveness through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The City of Oregon payback should be $2,730,341 over 20-years at 0% interest, or $136,517 annually. There will be no increase in user’s fees required in order to pay for this project as funding is available from existing Capital Improvement Funds that were built into our fee schedule many years ago. The City of Oregon Water and Sewer Department will require annual increases in fees to cover operating expense and keep pace with inflation. After an increase in late 2010 and early 2011, an annual increase of 3% may be expected. There is no indication that an increase above the median fees for comparable cities of our size in Northern Illinois should be necessary.
Bob Rees, Commissioner of Public Property.
