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Steady progress at Midland RTF
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Monthly report—October 2006
DEC approves Clinton & Harbor Brook plans
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Work activities on the Midland Phase II project
during October included:
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Installation continued on the 144-inch pipe. The
pipe is laid in sections that are 12-feet in length,
and each weighs 65,000 pounds.
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Roof completed on underground storage tank this
month
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Continued installation of underground conduits,
HVAC ductwork, drain lines, and lighting conduits in
various parts of the facility
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Concrete pours for vertical concrete columns of
the RTF are now complete. For the entire facility,
18,927 cubic yards of concrete have been placed of an
estimated 23,000 cubic yards planned for the total facility
(82%).
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Continued installation of CMU walls in the RTF
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As of October 31, 2006, $34,649,097 has been paid
on the four prime contracts, which is 64.9% of the
total contract sum.
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Design activities on the Midland Phase III project included:
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Continued preparation of the 100% Phase III
conveyance design documents
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Continued coordination with various utility
owners on relocation of utilities
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Draft Phase IB archeological report received and
under review in-house.
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Construction continues on the South
Avenue-Bissell sewer separation project involving
sewers in the area of South Avenue, Bissell, and
Centennial Drive. This project has eliminated two
existing combined sewer overflows—047 and 048.
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Installation of new mainline sanitary sewers and
laterals is now completed.
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Street restoration and sidewalks completed in
October. Work is undergoing final inspection and
punch-list development.
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Construction continues on the biosolids handling
improvements project at Metro. During October,
installation continued on the new process piping. The
contractor also completed paving behind the Sludge
Dewatering Building and began construction of new
addition to the building.
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Mayor Driscoll and County Executive Pirro announce the 2006 Leaf Bag program to reduce nonpoint pollution. (Liz Loftus of Onondaga County Public Libraries in back.)
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The fifth annual free leaf bag program for city
residents was kicked off with a press conference with
the county executive and the mayor on Friday, October
13 at the Soule Branch Library. The Onondaga County
Department of Water Environment Protection delivered
the bags to all the libraries and community centers in
the city throughout October with refills as needed.
This year, a total of 35,000 bags are available under
a special grant program funded by Onondaga County and the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers aimed at reducing urban
nonpoint pollution reaching Onondaga Lake.
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The Onondaga Lake Partnership held its annual progress
meeting on Monday, October 30 at the Genesee Grand
Hotel. The meeting was very well attended and featured
the progress made this year on Lake-related issues
including the positive effects of the County's new
ammonia-phosphorus removal facilities.
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The 144-inch pipe (lower) and the 78-inch Midland Trunk Sewer
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(ACJ completion date—Phase II RTF—9/1/05 [revised] & Phase III Conveyance—5/01/07. Further milestone revisions requested.)
Phase II construction continues
Concrete pours continued this month and were completed
for the vertical concrete columns in the RTF and the
roof of the underground storage tank. The concrete
base slab has been placed for the vacuum flushing
chamber. The total amount of concrete poured to date
is 18,927 cubic yards of an estimated 23,000 cubic yards for the
completed facility (82%).
Installation of sections of 144-inch pipe continued.
Installation of CMU walls in the RTF area
continued as well.
The geotechnical monitoring instrumentation reports
continue to be compiled and submitted to the County
and consultants for review.
The electrical contractor continued to install conduit
and panels in the electrical gallery for the RTF area
and conduit lighting in the underground storage tank.
The plumbing contractor has installed floor drains and
piping in the vortex and odor control rooms.
Upcoming work
Work anticipated for November 2006 includes:
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Continued installation of sections of the 144-inch pipe
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Continued installation of concrete footers and
slabs in the vortex separator room, odor control room, chemical room, and walls where required
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Continued installation of CMU walls in the RTF
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Continued installation of conduits in the RTF electrical room and installation of HVAC ductwork in the storage tank after final closure of the tank itself
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Continued installation of drainage piping in the chemical storage room and plant water lines in the underground storage tank.
Midland Phase III activities this month:
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Continued to progress 100% Phase III design
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Continued coordination activities with utility companies
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Phase IB archeological report received in draft for review.
Construction on the Phase III pipeline will begin at
the West Castle Street end and progress over 2½ years
toward West Newell Street. No single area will be
affected for the full 2½ years, and the length of time
that construction will take place along each street
depends on the size of the pipe to be installed. The
pipeline ranges in size from 12 feet in diameter near
West Castle Street to 4 feet in diameter near Newell
Street.
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Fittings awaiting installation in the new Sludge Blending Building (Sep 26)
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Construction work continues:
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Construction continues on the new biosolids
handling improvements at the Metro site.
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Paving was completed near Sludge Dewatering
Building, and construction began this month on the new addition
to that building.
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The concrete pad was set for new stairs in blend tank building.
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Continued installation of new process piping in
tank pump room and running new steam and condensate
lines in the Sludge Dewatering Building.
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West Bissell Street prepared for repaving (Sep 27)
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C.O. Falter is the general construction contractor for
this $1.9 million sewer separation project. Work is
being conducted along Onondaga Creek near Bissell, Onondaga
Avenue, South Avenue, and Centennial Drive.
Installation of the all new mainline sewers and
laterals is now completed in both basins.
Interior service connection work has been completed on
all five private properties where needed.
Street and sidewalk restoration completed this month.
Final inspections and punch-list work is yet to be done.
(ACJ dates—Commence construction of conveyances and RTF—10/28/04 [revised]. Further milestone revision requested.)
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Conveyance-related work
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RTF-related work
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Continued work on property acquisition and easement
activities
Completed 95% design documents and
submitted them to DEC. Review meeting to be scheduled.
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EEA completed the 50% design documents and submitted
them to Onondaga County for review on October 20.
Onondaga County coordinated with conveyance consultants to ensure
proper interfacing of the conveyances and the RTF.
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A formal letter was received dated October 6, 2006
from the NYSDEC approving the Facility Plan.
The goal of the project is to abate eleven CSOs
between Fayette and Oneida streets. The Facility Plan
evaluates alternative technologies to address the
overflows and alternative sites for a
storage-treatment facility. It recommends:
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In-line storage and a regional treatment facility
(RTF) with a vortex separator as the most
cost-effective approach
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Construction on a site between the elevated railroad
tracks and Onondaga Creek southwest of the MOST on West
Jefferson Street.
(ACJ completion date for in-water system—7/1/02—Not implementable—Milestone Revision requested)
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Conveyance-related work
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RTF-related work
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Continued work on 95% design
Continued work on geotechnical report
Continued work on acquisition process and easements needed
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Continued work on RTF facility layouts
Continued design activities required for the 50% design submittal
Continued work on acquisition process and easements needed
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A formal letter was received dated October 6, 2006
from the NYS DEC approving the Facility Plan.
The Facility Plan recommends two regional storage and treatment
facilities (RTFs), five underground floatables control
facilities, upgrading one pump station, and
installation of conveyance pipelines to transport CSO
flow to the facilities. The Facility Plan also identifies
two sites, both are privately owned vacant land, for
purchase for sites of the RTFs.
Funded by Onondaga County and a grant through the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, free leaf bags were again made
available to city residents to pick up at branch
libraries and community centers in Syracuse beginning
in mid-October. The kick-off press conference was held
on Friday, October 13. Newspaper ads and billboards
were produced and appeared the week of October 15.
Bags were distributed and refills made through WEP.
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Billboard on South Salina Street near Valley plaza promoting the County's leaf bag program
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A total of 35,000 bags are available this year.
Distribution points report a steady stream of
customers picking up the bags. People generally seem
to be more familiar with the program and the
importance of keeping leaves out of the streets,
sewers, and Lake.
Funded through the same grant as the leaf bags, the Onondaga
County Department of Water Environment Protection
has rain gauges available for use by individuals or in
school classrooms. The gauges have an message printed
on them to remind people that pollution can come to
the Lake with rain and runoff and suggests ways they
can help cut down on this type of nonpoint source
pollution.
A recent article in a special insert to the local
newspaper produced by the Onondaga Lake Partnership included a
story about the gauges. As a result, numerous calls
and emails have been received, and about 500 gauges
have been distributed so far.
Held on Monday, October 30, this year's OLP annual
meeting focused on the progress made this year on
Onondaga Lake issues. The County's progress with
completion of the ammonia-phosphorus removal
facilities and their successful operation and
completion of other ACJ projects including sewer
separation were noted.
A revised format for the meeting allowed people to go
into small group sessions to ask more in-depth
questions. There were five topic groups, and the County
helped to lead and facilitate the group on wastewater
improvements. Other topic groups were recreation,
hazardous waste remediation efforts, watershed
improvements, and outreach and education programs. This
year's meeting was very well attended with over 200
people.
The following projects have been completed since July
2002. They are not classified as
interim projects.
The following is a summary of the projects completed
under the Amended Consent Judgment (Appendix B pages 10-12). Each of these
ten CSO-related projects 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 by date completed:
Under Appendix A of the Amended Consent Judgment, 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 were completed well ahead of
schedule. The projects are listed below by date
completed:
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Biweekly tributary sampling conducted October 3,
17, and 31
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Special Onondaga Creek samples relating to the
Midland dewatering project were collected on October 9
and 23 at Dorwin Avenue.
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The Lake South Deep was sampled on October 10,
24, and 30. Both the South Deep and North Deep were
sampled on October 22 and 26.
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On October 16, WEP conducted a special in
situ trial study with the consultant QEA to evaluate
the mixing dynamics of Onondaga Creek and Nine Mile
Creek in the Lake as a follow-up to the Onondaga Lake
water quality model project peer review recommendation.
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Completed event six of six of the juvenile seine
events on the weeks of October 9 and 13 (to be
completed every 3 weeks from July to October). This
work is not complete for this year.
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Completed field collection efforts for the zebra
mussel survey and lab efforts throughout October.
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Continued laboratory sorting of the Lake
macroinvertebrate samples collected in July.
Completed the third of the three required storm
event-based monitoring efforts on Nine Mile Creek and
Onondaga Lake. Dates covered were October 19-22, 2006.
A total accumulation of 0.36 inches of rain in 20
minutes was measured at the Metro automated weather
station. The sampling criteria is 0.35 inches in 1
hour. All three required events are now completed.
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Nov ’05
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None to report
Contract with CDM/C&S amended for project
management services relating to the Midland Avenue
conveyances & RTF project ($445,000) and sewer
separation (CSO 050, $172,312).
Contract amendment amount: $617,312, executed: 10/16/06.
None to report
Adopting a determination and findings pursuant to
Article 2 of the New York Eminent Domain Procedure Law
and authorizing the acquisition of property for the
Harbor Brook project.
Authorizing the standardization of the Calgon Phoenix
carbon adsorption odor control system for the Clinton
and Harbor Brook projects.
Authorizing an intermunicipal agreement with the City
of Syracuse for sewer separation for CSO basin 050.
State Bond Act funds
Payments received this month from State Bond Act
funds:
None to report.
Total received to date in State Bond Act funds: $92,362,936.
Federal EPA funds
Midland Avenue conveyances and RTF
Received request in the amount of $1,468,218 on
10/18/06 for total received of $18,950,832.
Total received to date in Federal EPA funds: $73,342,920.
Federal Army Corps of Engineers funds
None to report.
Total received to date from U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers funds: $8,418,676.
The following reimbursement payments were received
from EFC during October:
Sewer separation: CSO 038, 040, 046A, and 046B:
Received request in the amount of $7,836.96 on
10/13/06 for total received of $1,486,886 (long
term).
Total reimbursement monies received to date through
EFC loans for the funded ACJ projects: $159,069,198
(short term), $11,790,415 (long term).
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Nov ’05
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 Chronology of project construction starts
Contractors for construction projects
Lake Improvement Project Office
Grants and loans applied for—not yet approved
Grants received
Financial status report
— Midland photos courtesy of Ken Jackson and Joe Lorah, CDM
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Susan Miller, Project Deputy Director
Onondaga County Dept of Water Environment Protection