Client: Karthaus-Burnside Joint Sewer Authority
Year Completed: 2011
Project Cost: $8,500,000
In 2007, the Karthaus-Burnside Joint Sewer Authority selected Gwin, Dobson & Foreman, Inc. to design the Karthaus area wastewater collection and treatment system. The system will serve 300 residences and eliminate a wildcat sewer system in the Village of Karthaus and numerous, failing on-lot systems in the Village of Pine Glen.
The project consisted of the following:
- Wastewater collection system consisting of 60,000 ft. of 6″-8″ gravity sanitary sewer, 198 manholes and clean-outs, 17,000 ft. of 11/2″ to 3″ force main pressure pipe and 13 individual grinder pumping units for 300 residential and commercial connections.
- Wastewater conveyance system consisting of four sewage lift stations including emergency generators and submersible sewage pumps.
- Wastewater treatment facility consisting of 115,000 GPD extended aeration, suspended growth system. The system incorporates a Modified Luzak-Ettinger (MLE) nutrient reduction technology for nitrogen removal.
- The treatment process includes equalization, aeration, final clarification, aerobic sludge digestion, chlorination and de-chlorination. The control building includes a laboratory, conference room, administration office, aeration blowers, chemical feed system, electrical facilities and emergency generator.
- The sewer service area includes the Village of Karthaus and portions of Karthaus Township in Clearfield County and the Village of Pine Glen and portions of Burnside Township in Centre County.
- Unusual features of the project included a major river crossing (West Branch-Susquehanna River) by directional boring and the use of State Forest property for the Pine Glen interceptor sewer which resulted in significant cost savings. In fact, sufficient funds remained after the initial project to do an extensive “Phase II”” project which accommodated 60 more customers.
- The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, Commonwealth Finance Authority (H20-PA) and DCED provided grants and loans for the project. Also, CDBG money from Clearfield and Centre Counties provided tap fee assistance to low income residents. Overall, 85% of the funding package was composed of grants which made the project very affordable, especially for the many low income residents of the service area.
GD&F provided all professional services including planning, engineering, design, bidding, construction administration, construction inspection and system start-up and commissioning.
The project was done on-time and under budget.