(Canastota, NY – Dec. 6, 2013) The village of Canastota has been notified that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has determined that the requirements of the 2006 Consent Order mandating installation of a new overflow retention facility and upgrades to the village wastewater treatment plant has been completed.
The DEC Consent Order was issued to reduce the number of overflows from the village’s combined sewers into Canastota Creek during wet weather.
In response to DEC mandates, the village embarked on an aggressive solution that cost $11.2 million. The project included construction of a new overflow retention facility, new main influent screening facility as well as a new pump station at the recreation field that will convey more than four million gallons per day of wastewater to the treatment plant during wet weather.
Along with the new facilities located on Main Street south of the Thruway, the village increased the capacity of the treatment plant from 1.73 million gallons per day to 2 million gallons per day and refurbished substantially all of the critical treatment equipment in the plant.
In addition, new photovoltaic solar panels were installed at the treatment plant and all of the sewage pumping stations throughout the village were upgraded with state-of-the-art instrumentation and controls.
One of the most significant additions was the construction of a new 750,000 gallon glass lined holding tank. The purpose of the tank is to provide storage capacity for a mixture of rainwater and sanitary sewage that would otherwise overflow flow from the sewers and flow into the creek during wet weather occurrences. Once the wet weather event has passed, operators will direct the stored water to the treatment plant where it will be fully treated.
“As part of this upgrade, the village requested and received permission to increase the treatment plant capacity from 1.73 million gallons per day to 2 million gallons per day plus flows upwards of 4 million gallons per day during wet weather,” said Mayor Carla DeShaw. “This new treatment capacity will allow for continued residential and commercial growth within the village. Additionally, the village installed numerous energy performance upgrades including solar panels, high efficiency motors, pumps and a duel fuel burner to utilize the methane gas that is a by-product of the treatment process.”
“The additions are not only good for the environment, but will substantially reduce future energy costs,” DeShaw said.
The project was financed by a combination of 0 percent interest loans and non-repayable grants. The village applied for and received the following funding:
Loans
$100,000 USDA Rural Development
$3,200,000 NYSEFC
Grants
$4,600,000 NYS EFC
$2,900,000 USDA Rural Development
$485,000 US EPA