Bradford Sanitary Authority announced the price per EDU for municipalities in 2021 during its regular monthly meeting Tuesday.
The estimate in November was that each EDU would cost $246.42. The final cost for 2021 will be $252.68 per EDU.
In other new business, new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Requirements will go into effect on May 1, 2021.
The Department of Environmental Protection issued a new five-year NPDES permit in 2018. Bradford Sanitary Authority commented on the new limits when DEP issued them as draft in December 2017 at a meeting with Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in Meadville.
The PA DEP advised that the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reviewed and commented on the PA DEP 2017 draft NPDES. It was noted that the stream flow being used in the Pentox model was too high. When officials with the PA DEP concurred and lowered the stream flow in the model, several discharge limits were reduced. PA DEP officials also placed in-stream monitoring devices near the Wastewater Treatment Plant in the Fall of 2017 to gather data on temperature, PH and DO.
BSA and PA DEP discussed a path forward. PA DEP recommended the phase 1 Toxicity Reduction Evaluation (TRE) be revised to recommend a phase 2 TRE and also through a two-step process, BSA can request a minor permit amendment to extend the permit 120 days, then follow with a major permit amendment to extend the final limits 4 years and 11 months from the effective date of the permit, which would mean BSA would need to be in compliance with the new limits by April of 2023.
Also during the meeting, it was announced that BSA officials are scheduling a time for Dell to come in and install new servers as part of an effort to fulfill recommendations from a recent IT Review; training and onboarding is continuing for the BSA’s newest employee, Justin Grice; The South Headworks Main Pump 3 is scheduled for delivery today and Final Effluent Pump #1 is reinstalled and running smoothly.
A request was received from American Refining Group to evaluate BSA’s diffused outfall site for a potential location they could utilize to deploy containment booms in the event of an unplanned discharge from the refinery. The diffused outfall area of Tuna Creek was discussed as a possible location, due to the fact it should remain free from ice formations during the winter months due to the warmer discharge water temperatures and flows.
Finally, the field crew has begun efforts to flush, clean and televise all mains associated with both sanitary and storm sewer mains. BSA assets that are found to be in need of attention will be ranked by criticality and then scheduled for repair or replacement.
