Sewage plant borrowing awaits council action

City lawmakers are considering borrowing about $1.37 million more to fund repairs and upgrades at Kingston’s sewage treatment plant on East Strand.

At a meeting of the Common Council’s Finance and Audit Committee on Wednesday, City Engineer Ralph Swenson said bids were received for general construction, electrical and heating, ventilation and air conditioning work at the plant. He estimated the total project cost at $3,276,250 but said much of that would be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Swenson said the council previously authorized borrowing about $1.9 million to fund repairs at the plant, and he asked the committee to move forward a resolution to borrow the remaining money necessary to pay for the project — $1,371,798 — as well as some construction inspection services and to provide for contingency expenses.

The committee authorized the borrowing, but it still must be voted on by the full council next month. The resolution adopted by the committee would also authorize the mayor to award the project bids.

Swenson said the general construction bid totals $2,028,000 and would include reconstruction of the city’s pump station and work on the exterior walls of some of the buildings.

“We’re trying to flood proof it,” he said.

The engineer said the goal is to protect the plant from flood waters of up to 11 feet.

Some of the planned repairs and upgrades are necessary because of flooding during Superstorm Sandy in October 2012, which is why FEMA is pitching in financially.

The electrical work bid totals $717,000 and would fund wiring, pump replacement, control, and preparation work to upgrade the plant’s generator, Swenson said. He said the HVAC bid totals $142,500 and would include new boilers.

The treatment plant, close to the city’s Rondout Creek waterfront, is the city’s only such facility and serves approximately 30,000 people. Most of the plant was built in the 1940s, but it’s been upgraded roughly every 10 years.

Swenson said the city also must consider a more expensive project to bring the plant into compliance with a new State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, or SPDES, permit, which is issued by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.

The permit requires the city to reduce nitrate levels in its wastewater discharge. To do that, the city must upgrade the treatment plant.

Swenson said that project could cost about $8 million but does not have to be done immediately.

Kingston Mayor Steve Noble last month told lawmakers that the city has about two years before it needs to start construction to comply with the permit. In the meantime, the city will apply for as much grant funding as possible for the work, he said.