Bradford Sanitary Authority is working with Upper Allegheny Health System to use property on Seaward Avenue as a possible helipad site for air medical transport.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Executive Director Steve Disney said communications have continued about using the wastewater treatment grounds on Seaward Avenue. A site review has been scheduled for April 2 with a representative from the Bureau of Aviation.
Joseph Fuglewicz, spokesman for UAHS, explained more about the landing zone.
“The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has been working collaboratively with Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) for many years to provide a landing zone for air medical transfers,” he said. “We continue to be grateful for the university’s support and for their key role in transferring our most critically ill and injured patients.
“We have been using an ‘unimproved’ landing zone, which essentially is a landing zone that does not exist at an airport or hospital helipad,” he continued. “This can create some challenges, particularly with surface conditions related to snow, ice, soft turf and mud.”
Fuglewicz said they are working on changing that situation.
“We are in the planning stages of identifying a location to build a heliport that is more suitable for the weather conditions in our region and that will improve the overall safety of air medical operations,” he said. “We will continue to utilize the landing zone at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford until the new site is completed and licensed.”
Also during the authority meeting, Disney gave an update on work on a sewer main under the Bradford Laundromat.
In the ongoing investigation involving a damaged 8-inch sanitary sewer main running underneath the laundromat, he said, attempts by Snyder Environmental have been stopped. The company was attempting to install cured-in-place pipe solutions on this 8-inch line, but “due to the voids in the line and the potential for additional collapse,” attempts have been stopped because of excessive water and sags in the main.
“The next step will be to hydro excavate two sump pits on each side of this segment of main in order to vacuum out as much debris and liquid as possible. Then install cured-in-place pipe lining,” Disney said. The line’s damage has come from time and wear.
Additionally, authority members discussed the house in front of the wastewater treatment plant that had been used for offices.
“This structure is no longer being utilized,” Disney said. “The authority discussed possible alternatives and options for this asset. A review will consist of evaluating annual costs to operate, quotes to repair some failing items, and what it would cost to demo.”
Disney said the BSA is awaiting the renewed NPDES permit. Once that is received an updated local limits evaluation can be conducted.
The BSA annual Safety and Service Award luncheon has been set for April 19.
The operators of the wastewater treatment plant have been performing some additional work at the plant, rerouting a final effluent line that had been leaking in the basement area. While rerouting this line, they also installed a valve and actuator that will allow a more efficient transfer of material to the reed beds.
Regarding the digester roof, Advanced Technology is looking into the uneven surface application to determine potential remedies. The contractor believes they received a bad batch of product. They are researching possible solutions.
The authority is looking into operational issues with the individual HVAC units in the server room and office spaces. During cold weather the individual units are not functioning properly.
Overall, sanitary sewer and stormwater delinquency rates decreased slightly during the month of February. The date for a sheriff sale is in the process of being established for Moosewatch Development Properties at 116 Congress St. The sheriff sale for Marsh’s Bar/Restaurant on West Washington Street has been placed into continuance pending a potential sale of the property.
