Town Board OKs bonding for treatment plant work
SAUGERTIES, N.Y. » The Town Board has authorized borrowing to cover the local share of a $446,500 project to upgrade the Malden Sewer District’s wastewater treatment plant.
The board last week voted to authorize the issu
ance of $256,500 in 25-year bonds at a meeting held via videoconference.
“It represents one of the largest infrastructure improvements to the Malden plant since it was built,” town Supervisor Fred Costello said.
The plant, about 80 feet from the Hudson River shoreline, was affected by flooding during Superstorm Sandy in October 2012. The facility’s drainage system overwhelmed by rain, which led to backups for sewer district property owners.
Funding for the project includes $190,000 from the New York State Governor’s Office for Storm Recovery.
The project will include construction of a flood wall around the building, the replacement of three blowers, installation of submersible pumps, and the modification of equipment controls.
Engineering consultant Dennis Larios said the cost may be lowered after a review of electrical systems is completed.
“We may be able to save ... (up to) $60,000 off the top of this project,” he said.
Larios said the work is also expected to reduce noise from the plant’s operation.
“The three blowers at the plant ... (are) original vintage mid-1980s blowers that were inefficient, very noisy ... and neighbors were complaining about the noise,” Larios said.
The state funding is the remaining part of $3 million provided for storm resiliency projects following Tropical Storms Irene and Lee in 2011.
Other projects still being done under the grant include culvert repairs on Blue Mountain Road and Cottontail Lane. Previous work included repairs to the Mount Marion Dam and the Kate Yeager Road bridge, culvert repairs on Platte Clove Road, Sacks Lodge Road, and Wilhelm Road, and a study of flood resiliency needs along the Lower Esopus Creek.