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A Newsletter by the City of Saco, Maine	November, 2008	Return to newsletter index

Saco wastewater treatment facility establishes need for improvements

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The structural members of the process building located at the 36 year old Waste Water Treatment Facility (WWTF) have failed due to sub-surface decomposition of organic material. An engineering evaluation was conducted to determine if measures could be taken to salvage the building. The evaluation determined that the current level of distress and deterioration in the structural components of the building are significant enough that it does not make economical sense to salvage the building.

As a result of the engineering evaluation, the City has requested conceptual design and a budgetary cost estimate to replace the existing process building. The City retained Lincoln-Haney Engineers to provide the structural design, Deluca-Hoffman Associates to provide the civil design, and Woodard & Curran to provide the process, electrical, control, architectural, and mechanical design. The existing WWTF site does not have ample space to construct a new building to house all that is currently located in the existing process building. The existing building houses bio-solids processing, chemical storage, electrical distribution, controls, utilities, and maintenance. The design team proposes to replace the existing process building with two new buildings. The site provides sufficient space to construct a process building that will house sludge processing, electrical distribution, controls, and utilities. Once this building is constructed and the process is online, the existing building can be demolished to make room for the second building. The second building will house maintenance and chemical storage.

The proposed work includes the installation of yard piping to connect between the new process building and existing facilities, such as the various treatment process tanks. In addition, the yard piping work includes the reconnection of the chemical feed lines between the new garage building and the existing disinfection tanks. Upon completion of the yard piping and building construction work, the site restoration will include construction of new paved access areas to accommodate truck deliveries for the chemical deliveries to the new garage building as well as removal of the sludge or bio-solids hauling container from the new process building; restoration of pavement area around the perimeter of the new garage building, restoration of bituminous walkways between the treatment tanks within the yard area; reconfiguration of the perimeter chain link fence and gates; replanting the disturbed lawn areas.

The total project cost is composed of detailed design engineering, construction administration, resident engineering, controls implementation, and contractor construction cost. Woodard & Curran will be providing services for architectural, mechanical, electrical, controls, and process detailed design, along with construction support and controls implementation. Deluca-Hoffman Associates will provide the civil detailed design and resident engineering. Lincoln Haney Engineers will provide the structural design and construction support. A qualified contractor with the lowest bid will complete the construction of the project. The project is estimated to involve a three month design and a construction schedule of 14 months.

It is the goal of the City of Saco WWTP Staff to continue to enhance the environment and exceed the expectations of government regulators through continued empowerment to do the right thing in the most cost effective manner possible.