Phase three of the wastewater treatment plant upgrades took another step forward after a funding request has been submitted to the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority.

Authority Executive Director Rick Brocius reported that the upgrades are planned to start in the spring.

“Key components of the project include a diffused outfall in the stream bed that will improve the water quality in the stream,” he said at a meeting Tuesday. “Green technology such as the reed beds that will eliminate the need to replace worn out sludge dewatering equipment and reduce the amount of sludge generated.”

New sludge digesters that will further reduce sludge generation, and a new maintenance building for the larger authority vehicles and equipment, he said.

The meeting also included a motion to enact the new stormwater credit policy contingent upon final legal review.

The authority plans to post the policy on its website. Copies of the policy will also be available from the authority’s office on Kennedy Street.

“The authority plans to make the policy available in the next week so,” he said.

Brocius reported that an emergency repair requiring the installation of 85 feet of new stormwater line was completed on School Street when a collapsed line caused stormwater to flood a construction site.

Work is also underway on South Avenue and Mechanic Street where 1,600 feet of storm line was found to be clogged with debris resulting in localized street flooding.

Also at the meeting, Brocius said that the geographic information system mapping of the storm system continues with most manhole and catch basin locations plotted on the digital maps.

“A color code of the asset condition has also been applied to the map,” he said. “The next phase of the digital mapping process will be locating and defining all the storm system lines. It was noted that current practice calls for crews to rely on paper maps dating to the 1940s and ‘50s.”

Brocius reported that the authority’s information technology infrastructure upgrades have been going well.

“The authority will benefit from the latest network security support protecting critical plant controls and authority operating data,” he said.