The municipalities of Middleport Borough, New Philadelphia Borough, Blythe Township, and Schuylkill Township joined to form the Schuylkill Valley Sewer Authority (SVSA) and worked together to complete SVSA’s Act 537 Plan.
As consultant for the Schuylkill Valley Sewer Authority, Benesch completed design of a new sewage collection system and wastewater treatment facility. The collection system consists of approximately 30 miles of pipe. The treatment facility is an intermittent cycle extended aeration system (ICEAS) with a design flow of 550,000 GPD. Disinfection is provided by ultraviolet light and solids handling is accomplished through aerobic digestion and dewatering on reed-planted drying beds.
This project also included design of an access road and a single span concrete bridge. The new bridge replaced a 4-span timber bridge which had deteriorated and held an 8-ton weight limit. The Ridge Road Bridge serves as the only access to residences on the east side of the bridge and provides access to the wastewater treatment plant.
In-house value engineering workshops resulted in a final project cost $68,000 under budget. Funding for this $20 million project included a grant and loan from PENNVEST.