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When the Octoraro Treatment Plant was constructed in 1951, it was
capable of treating 18 million gallons of water per day (mgd).
Its design was
based on the treatment concept of removing particulates and
disinfecting the water, which was the best technology available –
well before the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency
(US EPA), the passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act, and numerous
other federal and state regulations.
Over the past 53 years, the Octoraro Treatment Plant has been
updated and adapted to meet
developing federal and state regulations and the needs of our
customers. The Plant was
ultimately expanded to 60 mgd to meet the growing demand for
capacity. Looking forward
to the future, the Authority asked a consultant to perform a
comprehensive review of the treatment plant comparing existing
treatment capability with anticipated needs.
This study was
completed in 2004 and it found no existing deficiencies at the
Treatment Plant, but recommended a comprehensive modernization plan
to meet future regulatory requirements and improve efficiencies.
Recommendations include improvements to blending of raw water from
the Octoraro Reservoir and Susquehanna River, additional chemical
feed locations, automation of
processes, upgraded sedimentation and mixing capacity, and upgrades
of the high-service
pumping system feeding the transmission main and distribution system
which directly serves our
customers.
The last phase
of the plan deals with architectural upgrades of the building and
when completed, the project will result in an up-to-date state of
the art facility that will serve the Authority and it’s customers
for many years in the future. The projected cost of the improvement
program is approximately $48 million spread over a ten year project
period.
Chester Water
Authority’s upgrades of our treatment facility and our water
distribution facilities help ensure that we maintain reliability and
keep pace with the increasing demand for water in our growing
service area and comply with all federal and state regulations.
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