PATA History Pages

Sewer Expansion Update

Stress Testing Completed

Officials believe sewer plant can handle higher capacity

By ANTHONY DILL

Results from a stress test conducted on Pickerington's wastewater treatment plant show it could be reclassified to handle more work.

Dale Kocarek, project manager with RD Zande and Associates, told the Pickerington City Council Service Committee Jan. 13 the plant has the capacity to go to as much as 1.6 million gallons per day. It currently is operating at 1.2 MGD.

The wastewater treatment plant has a permit to operate at 1.8 MGD but is only using one side of the plant and is trying to get more out of that side.

The other side of the plant is not operational because it has been deemed not capable to properly meet the city's needs.

"Frank (Wiseman, city service director) and I have thought that there was a little more head room in the capacity than we are currently at," Kocarek said.

The city will now examine the report to see if there needs to be any adjustments before submitting it to the Ohio Environment Protection Agency for approval.

"There is substantial gain the city can make if its 1.5 (MGD)," Kocarek said.

The EPA is anticipated to take quick action on the test results because "they view it as an open item that they want to bring closure to," Kocarek said.

"I think Pickerington is the only community in the state of Ohio that the Ohio EPA has given permission to look at an increase in capacity based on demonstrative performance," he said.

Wiseman said he worried things could also move slowly because this procedure is a rarity.

"The EPA may move cautiously because this is not done very often," he said. "We may have to jump through some hoops."

"(Nonetheless) we need to keep the ball rolling as far as planning and expansions go," City Manager Judy Gilleland said in response.

To determine the extra capacity Kocarek and his staff ran a stress test program over several weeks in October and November to see the plant's capabilities. During the full-scale test all compliance was maintained, he said.

The revelation of the plant's new abilities "just buys us some time," Councilman Ted Hackworth said. Eventually, dependent on the final approval rating from the EPA and the rate of development, the city will have to go to its final objective of a plant of 3.5 MGD.

"I think this can buy the city a certain amount of capacity," Kocarek said.

"One of the things I would encourage the city to do is to step back and go into facilities planning mode and begin to (plan out) future direction based on these findings."

Pickerington Times Sun

Sewer Expansion