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2005 annual report
Lake Improvement Project Office
In January 1998, Onondaga County executed a Judgment
on Consent with the State of New York and the Atlantic
States Legal Foundation (ASLF) in settlement of
litigation initiated in connection with alleged
violations of state and federal water pollution
control laws. The conditions of the Judgment on
Consent obligated the County to perform a series of
engineering and scientific studies to evaluate the
need for upgrading the Metropolitan Sewage Treatment
Plant (Metro) and for providing treatment of Combined
Sewer Overflows (CSOs) that occur within the Metro
service area.
Based on the results of those studies and in
consultation with the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the United
States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the
County developed a plan of action called the Municipal
Compliance Plan (MCP). The County submitted the
proposed MCP to the State and ASLF on January 11,
1996. Subsequent negotiations with regard to the
proposed MCP resulted in the signing of an Amended Consent Judgment (ACJ)
between all the parties—NYSDEC, the State Attorney General, ASLF and the
County. The agreement was executed by the U.S.
District Court on January 20, 1998. The ACJ replaced
and superseded the 1989 Judgment on Consent, and the
County is currently in the process of implementing the
terms of the ACJ.
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Regional treatment facility (RTF) at Farmers' Market—operating since 2001
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The ACJ is designed to achieve full compliance with
the Federal Clean Water Act by December 1, 2012.
Although the overall ACJ schedule allows for a 15-year
phased series of improvements, there will be
beneficial results to the water quality of the
tributaries and the lake itself as each ACJ project is
completed and begins operation. In fact, under the
County's current schedule, most projects will be
completed by 2007 and bring about resultant
improvements in lake water quality.
The ACJ includes two main categories of projects:
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One set of projects is designed to upgrade the
level of wastewater treatment at Metro to remove more
ammonia and phosphorus from the effluent. [Click here for details.]
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The other set of projects is aimed at reducing or
eliminating the impacts of combined sewer overflows on
the tributaries and the lake. [Click here for details.]
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Geotechnical survey for Clinton RTF, 2005
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In addition, the ACJ requires implementation of a
gradually increasing water quality monitoring program
in the Lake, its tributaries and the Seneca River. The
purpose of the monitoring program is to measure water
quality improvements associated with implementation of
ACJ-required projects. [Click here
for details.]
The settlement also provided for a County-funded Lake
Monitor, who is employed by the NYSDEC and provides
ongoing DEC oversight as projects are progressed.
Additionally, the ACJ contains specific major and
minor milestone dates for work to be completed.
Stipulated penalties are attached to these milestone
dates, and penalties vary depending on the nature of
the violation, its duration, and whether it involves a
major or minor milestone date.
The improvement projects to be undertaken as part of
the ACJ had an original budget figure of $380 million.
By the end of 2005, total cost of the entire program
was estimated at $458.9 million in 2005 dollars.
Construction costs have and will continue to be
supported by aid from the State and Federal
governments and low interest loans from the State
Environmental Facilities Corporation, in addition to
user charges assessed to property owners in the
Consolidated Sanitary District.
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Lake Improvement Project Office
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To assist in carrying out the terms of the ACJ, the
Lake Improvement Project Office was created during
1998 in the Department of
Drainage and Sanitation (now Water Environment
Protection—WEP). During 2005, following the
passing of former LIPO Director Michael J. Cunningham,
Commissioner Richard Elander assumed the duties of the
Director along with his WEP responsibilities. The rest
of the LIPO office staff included: the Deputy
Director, Administrative Assistant, Construction
Inspector, Engineering Aide and the Fiscal Officer and
Account Clerk II, who are both assigned WEP and LIPO
responsibilities. In addition, project consultant John
Clare was assigned project management duties.
Coordination and communication between Project Office
staff and other WEP staff is vitally important. Some
of the projects required under the ACJ were started
and managed by existing WEP staff prior to the
finalization of the ACJ and creation of the Lake
Project Office. Also, all of the ACJ projects will be
operated and maintained by WEP personnel following
completion of construction.
Monthly ACJ team meetings to review the status of each
project continued to be held throughout the year with
the Commissioner of WEP and key staff with
responsibilities for directing each of the projects.
The meetings include the managers from all the
involved units of WEP including the Lake Project
Office, Flow Control, Construction, Facilities
Operations, and Engineering and Laboratory Services.
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Working on steel sheeting at the Midland RTF construction site, May 2005
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At the end of 1998, the County contracted with CDM/C&S
to assist the County in project and program management
activities. During 2005, their activities related to
construction management on the Ammonia/Phosphorus
Removal Facilities project and the Phase II of the
Midland RTF project along with the Tallman/Onondaga
Sewer Separation project. Other duties included work
with facility planning efforts for the Clinton
Regional Treatment Facility and the Harbor Brook CSO
Abatement Facility Plan, assistance with compliance on
the Minority/Women's Business Enterprise (MWBE)
program, and oversight and assistance with
implementation of the Project Labor Agreement.
Meetings involving all the parties that are
signatories to the ACJ were held as needed during the
year. Parties represented in these meeting included:
the County, the State DEC, USEPA, Atlantic States
Legal Foundation, and the State Attorney General's
Office. The purpose of the meetings was to review the
status of ACJ projects and discuss any issues
impacting or related to implementation of the ACJ.
Also, County staff communicated regularly with
Regional DEC staff to update them on the status of
projects. As required in the ACJ, the Project Office
filed a Monthly Report with the State DEC by the 10th
of each month and copies of the report were
distributed to the other ACJ parties and posted on the
Lake Improvement web site. The Monthly Report was also
mailed to County Legislators, Common Councilors and
other local elected officials as well as city and
county staff, leaders of various community
organizations and interested area residents. Even
though the monthly report is posted each month on the
County's web site, the mailing list for the Monthly
Report remained over 100 individuals and
organizations.
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Trench for sewer separation in Tallman-Midland area, 2005
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Due to the number of projects underway at this time
and the volume of reports, plans and specifications to
be reviewed, the County agreed to fund an additional
staff person to assist the Regional DEC office in
their review. Under a contract between the County and
the Central New York Regional Planning and Development
Board, the State DEC hired a research scientist to
assist the State in their timely review of project
documents and the ambient monitoring program results.
Dr. John Ferrante was hired under this contract in
2001 and continued working with DEC in 2005. His
current contract extends through 2006.
Throughout the year, there were additional and regular
communications in the form of meetings or conference
calls between the ACJ parties and other involved
agencies including the federal EPA, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and City officials concerning implementation
of ACJ projects. Project Office staff also appeared
before the monthly meetings of the Environmental
Protection Committee of the County Legislature and
gave monthly updates on projects underway. In
addition, project staff continued to be involved with
Onondaga Lake Partnership activities including the
Project and Outreach Committees and the Partnership
programs held during the year including Onondaga Lake
Day in June and the Annual Progress Meeting in
November.
A variety of public participation/information methods
have been used to inform and involve the public in the
development and implementation of specific ACJ
projects currently in design or construction. Among
the formats used have been formal public meetings and
hearings, availability sessions, small group meetings
and individual one on one meetings with city and
county elected officials, area residents, neighborhood
groups, and community leaders. Presentations on the
overall ACJ program and specific projects have been
also given to community groups, business
organizations, college classes, professional
organizations and others. Informational letters were
sent to residents in particular areas where projects
are underway. Graphics including maps, photos,
conceptual drawings and aerial photographs have been
developed and used to help explain projects. Fact
sheets and flyers were compiled and distributed on
specific projects or issues and used at community
meetings or mailed to residents.
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Scene from LIPO video promoting citizen involvement to keep Onondaga Lake clean
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This year, public participation activities focused on
the following projects:
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Ongoing construction on Phase II of the Midland CSO Regional Treatment and
Conveyances Project that includes the regional treatment facility and about
1000 feet of conveyance pipeline
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Construction activities related to the Tallman St.-Onondaga Ave. Sewer
Separation Project addressing four combined sewer overflows (CSOs) along Onondaga Creek
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Facilities Planning efforts for the Harbor Brook
and Clinton CSO Abatement projects. Public
informational meetings were held for both the Clinton
and Harbor Brook Facilities Plans and the required
final public hearing was held for the Harbor Brook
Facilities Plan and Environmental Information Document
In addition, numerous requests for information were
also handled from area school children, college
students and interested area residents. The web site
assists greatly in responding to such requests while
also generating a substantial number of requests that
are relayed over the Internet via email.
During 2005, all sections of the new state-of-the-art
Ammonia and Phosphorus Removal Facilities designed to
upgrade treatment at the Metropolitan Wastewater
Treatment Plant on Hiawatha Boulevard in the City of
Syracuse became fully operational. These facilities
are the single most costly project of the total ACJ
program accounting for about $130 million of the
program. Most importantly, these facilities will have
the greatest positive impacts on the water quality of
Onondaga Lake of all the ACJ projects. The new
facilities include ammonia removal by biological
aerated filters (BAF), phosphorus removal by high rate
flocculated settling (HRFS) and an ultraviolet
disinfection system.
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Landscaping at Ammonia-Phosphorus facility, Oct 2004
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The Ammonia Removal Facility includes 18 large cells
seeded with filter beads. The system has been
operating very well this year and continues to
successfully meeting stringent effluent compliance
levels required by the ACJ. Additionally, the new
ultraviolet (UV) disinfection system has been in full
operation this year disinfecting the effluent from the
BAF and the HRFS prior to discharge of the treated
effluent to Onondaga Lake.
All of the former control room equipment and staff
were moved from the old Plant Operations Building at
Metro and are now located in the new Plant Operations
Center within the new Ammonia/Phosphorus Removal
Facilities. This year, the County WEP operations staff
successfully completed its first full year of running
all operations out of the newly completed control
center. Both staff and visitors to the new control
room are impressed with the state of the art control
center and the new treatment systems.
By the spring of 2005, operation of the new phosphorus
removal facilities began.
During 2005, water quality testing revealed
improvements to the lake's water quality brought about
by the Metro upgrades and positive news articles have
appeared in the local newspaper. To date, the new
Ammonia/Phosphorus Removal Facilities were honored by
both the State Association and Central New York Branch
of the American Pure Water Association as the 2004
Environmental Project of the Year 2004. In addition,
the new facilities were selected for the prestigious
Diamond Award for Engineering Excellence from the New
York State Chapter of the American Consulting
Engineers Council (ACEC).
Site preparation work began on the Midland project in
the fall of 2004 and continued through the winter. By
the end of 2005, about one third of the project has
been completed and construction continues to proceed
at a steady pace.
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Walls of rebar rise from the base of the storage tank, Midlan RTF, Nov 2005
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Work completed in 2005 on the project included:
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Excavation and pouring of concrete for base slabs and vertical walls in the underground disinfection tank area
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Excavation and concrete pours for the underground storage tank area
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Initial concrete pours in the front end of the treatment facility including the wet well area.
In addition, a new regulator was installed for the
Bellevue Ave. sewer line and emergency bypass lines
established as needed to accommodate construction.
Limited sub-surface blasting began in November to
remove a hard rock layer that needed to be excavated
for the 144´´ CSO conveyance pipeline that will
transport the flow from the combined sewers to the
Midland facility for treatment during wet weather
events. Also, installation began in December 2005 of
the pre-cast concrete roof structure for the
disinfection tank.
Construction progress coordination meetings were held
monthly with appropriate staff and superintendent
coordination meetings were held with all contractors
twice a month to insure continual and timely
communications between all the parties involved in
this project.
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Cleaning sewers after separation is complete, 2005
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Construction began in the summer of 2004 and was
completed by the summer of 2005 on this sewer
separation project designed to eliminate four combined
sewer overflows currently discharging into Onondaga
Creek. The project involved the installation of new
sewers in the Tallman Street-Midland Ave. area and on
Onondaga Avenue near Parkside and Parkview. The total
construction cost on this project is estimated at $4.9
million with a 70-30 reimbursement from the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers.
During 2005, the County proceeded to operate, maintain
and monitor the progress of various ACJ projects
completed in previous years. The year 2002 was an
important year in the ACJ program because under
Appendix B pages 10-12 of the Amended Consent
Judgment, ten CSO-related projects each had a major
milestone completion date of July 1, 2002. Some of
these "interim" projects were completed well ahead of
the major milestone date and all except two met the
major milestone date. The projects are listed below
chronologically by date completed:
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Project
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Completion date
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Evaluation of siphon crossings
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May 1999
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Hiawatha regional treatment & storage facility
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July 2001
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Newell regional treatment facility
Disinfection tested and report filed
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July 2001
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Teall Brook floatables control facility
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December 2001
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Evaluation of CSO toxicity
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May 2002
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Erie Boulevard storage system upgrade
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June 2002
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Onondaga Creek floatables control facility
Skimmer boat in operation beginning summer '02
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June 2002
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Harbor Brook floatables control facility
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July 2002
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Harbor Brook in-water system
Project changed: Facility plan drafted and published March 2002 and went to final hearing 12/6/05.
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Milestone revision requested and under review by State
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Kirkpatrick St. pump station upgrade and force main
Construction delays due to additional work
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Milestone revision requested from State. Project was completed by November 1, 2002.
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Under Appendix A of the ACJ, certain improvement
projects at Metro were designated as interim projects
and given a major milestone date for completion of
July 1, 2002. All six projects were completed by the
milestone date and most well ahead of schedule. The
projects are listed below by date completed:
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Project
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Date completed
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Phase II plant improvements
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January 1999
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Aeration system upgrade
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January 2000
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Odor control and residual handling
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December 2000
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Digester modifications—Phase III Improvements
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December 2000
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Chemical storage
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April 2001
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Digital system improvements
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December 2001
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Construction continued and was completed on the
following project during the year:
Construction continued this year on:
Design phase activities continued this year on:
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Sampling along Onondaga Lake shoreline
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By the end of the year 2005, a total of 27 ACJ-mandated
projects were completed. This is the majority
of the over 30 projects covered under the ACJ.
Although the ACJ allows 15 years to complete the
entire program by 2012, the County anticipates that
most of the projects will be completed well before
that time. Although a vast majority of the projects
have been completed, the County has about half of the
total overall project funds remaining for the projects
yet to be completed. The two most costly projects
remaining are the Harbor Brook and Clinton CSO
Abatement projects. The Harbor Brook project will now
involve the construction of two regional storage and
treatment facilities, plus 5 floatable control
facilities and at least one pump station upgrade.
Total estimated cost of these projects combined into
one Harbor Brook project is about $55 million.
The Clinton project handles 11 combined sewer
overflows and the current price estimates on this
single facility project is about $65 million.
Other remaining ACJ projects include some additional
areas slated for sewer separation, a biosolids
project at Metro, and the final phase (Phase III) of
the Midland project.
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Kick-off of 2005 campaign to keep City sewers free of leaves
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In addition to design and construction of ACJ Lake
Improvement Projects, the office continued with the
following program management efforts:
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This year over 30,000 recyclable leaf bags were
distributed to city residents through branch libraries
and community centers in the City in the fall of 2005.
This was the fourth year of this program that was
begun in 2002 with the assistance of grant monies from
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Through the use of a
kick-off press conference featuring the County
Executive and the Mayor and advertisements in local
newspapers, the public was educated on the problems
caused by excessive leaves in the sewers and
encouraged to use the leaf bags to collect and dispose
of their leaves. Response was great again this year
with libraries and community centers receiving
numerous calls and visitors to pick up the bags.
According to staff in the Metropolitan Wastewater
Treatment Plant, the County only had to bypass
treatment at Metro twice during the fall '05 due to
build up of leaves in the system. Most years previous
to the leaf bag program, the number of bypasses due to
leaves would be about 5-6 times, plant operators
indicate. Reducing the amount of leaves in the sewers
not only reduces the amount of leaves received at
Metro, but it also reduces the volume and frequency of
combined sewer overflows into Onondaga Creek and
Harbor Brook. The campaign was highly successful again
this year in both encouraging the use of bags and
informing the public about the relationship between
street debris/leaves and the sewer system. The
bypasses would have probably been reduced further, but
the late leaf drop, a couple of big storms, and difficult
weather conditions for City DPW's leaf pickup efforts
combined to cause the two bypasses.
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The County's lake related web site at
www.lake.onondaga.ny.us has proven to be a valuable
tool in informing the public on the background and
progress of the County's lake improvement activities.
It is updated with monthly reports, construction
photos and other information as progress occurs. Our
site averages between 15 - 20 visits per day with a
total monthly average of between 400-600 visitors per
month. An increase in web site visitors is
consistently seen from high schools and colleges when
term papers may be due such as late fall and late
spring. Most visitors to our site appear to be from
local colleges and universities, consulting firms,
USEPA and other governmental agencies, wastewater
equipment suppliers and others. In addition to
inquiries from local area colleges including SUNY ESF,
LeMoyne, Onondaga Community College and Syracuse
University, we have received numerous inquiries via
the web site from students and professors across the
country and around the world.
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Cleaning the inner harbor at mouth of Onondaga Creek
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In the second year of their 5-year contract with
the County, Alpha Boats of Weedsport, N.Y. operated a
trash skimmer boat from April through early November
in the Inner Harbor of Syracuse to collect and dispose
of floating debris. Again this year, efforts were made
to coordinate harbor-cleaning schedules with public
events scheduled for the harbor. In total, 23.48 tons
of floatable debris was collected this year by the
skimmer operation. This is an increase of about 2 tons
over the '04 collection and nearly 11 tons over the
previous two annual collections in '02 and '03 that
averaged about 12 tons for each contract year.
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Representatives of the County continued to be
actively engaged this year in assisting the Onondaga
Lake Partnership under the direction of the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers. Representatives of the County
serve on the Partnership's three standing committees
(Resource, Project, and Outreach) and the Executive
Committee of the Partnership. County representatives
have been involved this year in selecting projects to
be funded, identifying additional funding sources,
conducting the fourth annual progress meeting, and
chairing the Partnership's Fourth Annual Lake Day
event, developing public informational materials and
identifying priority activities for the Partnership.
This year's Lake Day event was the most successful to
date with a great turnout and more displays and
participatory activities.
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Susan Miller, Project Deputy Director
Onondaga County Dept of Water Environment Protection