Amsterdam to replace failing pump at treatment facility | News | dailygazette.com

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The wastewater treatment plant on Quist Road in Amsterdam.

AMSTERDAM — A failing pump at Amsterdam's wastewater treatment plant can’t wait for extensive upgrades planned at the facility.

“We can't wait a year or a year and a half to replace that, we've got to get it back in service now,” City Engineer Mike Clark said Monday.

It’s one of two return activated sludge pumps at the facility moving settled material from the clarifier back into the aeration tank as part of the wastewater treatment process.

Both pumps are needed to operate the plant on Quist Road efficiently. The failure also means there is no longer equipment redundancy to ensure continuous and reliable operations.

If the second pump failed, Clark acknowledged it would “really hinder” the city’s ability to operate the wastewater treatment facility.

“I'm glad it's still running, but it's old,” Clark said.

The Common Council on Monday authorized the transfer of $50,000 in sewer contingency funds to cover the anticipated cost of replacing the pump. Clark hopes work can be completed and the equipment brought back online within the next two weeks.

Prior to its failure, the pump was expected to be replaced as part of the $30.1 million upgrade project planned at the plant. Design work for the project is underway targeting construction in 2026.

“We're trying to keep things working until this project comes through and we can replace equipment that had a 25-year life expectancy, and we're out 40-plus” Clark said.

The untimely replacement won’t lead to any wasted spending by the city. Clark expects the pump will be incorporated into the plans, although additional plumbing may be needed to do so.

Mayor Michael Cinquanti said the failure of the aging equipment underscores the importance of the planned upgrades.

“Absolutely I’m frustrated, but it’s a situation where we can’t let the pump not operate. It’s too critical to the plant,” Cinquanti said. “This one is an old one. It just failed too early.”

Funding for the project was sought for several years before sufficient resources were finally lined up for officials to authorize hiring an engineering firm to begin design work last year. The scope was expanded requiring further engineering following another funding award this year.

The city was awarded a $10 million Water Quality Improvement Project by the state Department of Environmental Conservation in February for the project bringing the wastewater treatment facility into compliance with treated wastewater discharge requirements.

That sum added to the $4.3 million Water Infrastructure Improvement Act grant and $7.04 million no interest loan previously awarded by the state Environmental Facility Corporation (EFC). The project is also eligible for $8.76 million in principal forgiveness through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“It takes forever to get these things moving. As we go through the lengthy process, [equipment] gets older and older. Everything at that plant needs to be replaced,” Cinquanti said. “We’ve waited way too long.”

When designs are finally prepared, they will require review and authorization by the DEC before proceeding to construction. Additional pumps will be installed at the plant as part of the project, modernizing equipment while boosting redundancy to protect against future failures.

The overall upgrades will boost capacity and processing capabilities related to the liquid waste stream while replacing outdated equipment at the plant that went into service in 1974. More recent additions will make upgrades more complete to deliver anticipated savings on energy and maintenance costs of at least $150,000 a year combined.

Originally planned improvements include the expansion of chlorine tanks to ensure wastewater is treated for as long as required, the addition of a clarifier and upgrades to existing equipment that remove solids, improvements to aeration equipment supplying oxygen during the treatment process and updates to control systems to enhance monitoring.

Additional work will include mechanical upgrades to clarifies, modifications to aeration basins, the addition of a bypass to the chlorine contact tank, integrating control and data software across the entire wastewater treatment facility and pump stations and installation of catwalk operator safety systems in the sludge building.

It will also involve HVAC upgrades in the administration and sludge buildings, replacements of windows and doors, and repaving of the road leading to the plant after work is complete to repair anticipated damage.

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Reach Ashley Onyon at [email protected] or @AshleyOnyon on X.

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