Accomplishments and Objectives

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 

Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the facility and the collection system. The WPCF is regulated by the State of CT Department of Environmental Protection and Region 1 EPA.

PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS FY 2016 
  • Rebuilt 10 Actuators which automatically control which valves open and close so the facility runs properly
  • Continued to reduce the total amount of nitrogen entering the Pequabuck River.
  • Retained the Engineering firm of Tighe & Bond to begin the next phase of our Phosphorus Upgrade.
  • Continued with preventative maintenance system, utilizing the WPC camera system to specifically identify collection system problems. 
  • WPC oversaw and inspected 21 new connections, up from 13 last year, 4 disconnections, down from 7 last year, 62 camera jobs, up from 46 last year and treated 2400 feet of sanitary sewer for root control.
  • Repaired 20 broken/clogged lateral pipes. Of the 20, 15 were the responsibility of the town to repair. The other 5 were repaired by the homeowner and inspected by the town for proper installation.
  • Repaired 24 main line pipe issues
  • Raised the frames and covers on 12 manholes which had fallen below grade. Since 2008 we have done this to 84 manhole covers. 
  • Continued program of cross training all employees in the operation and maintenance of our facility. 
  • Rewrote all job descriptions so all non-administrative functions performed at the facility are everyone’s responsibility.
  • Received and treated approximately 100 loads of septage from Plainville residents without access to sewers.
  • Completed a Phosphorus study to determine the type of equipment we will need and the annual Operation and Maintenance costs.
  • Replaced bearings on existing Rotating Drum Thickener (RDT). This unit will serve as a back-up once the phosphorus project is complete.
  • Reduced our nitrogen output to a point where we will be selling credits instead of buying them.
  • Re-negotiated sludge hauling and disposal contracts saving many thousands of dollars
  • Installed Variable Frequency Drives on our mixer motors to alleviate initial turbulence which is believed to be breaking plastic air piping.
  • Assumed ownership and responsibility for the Journey Road Pump station which serves the new Cancer Treatment Center.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES FY 2017
  • Continue Updating of the computerized maintenance program.
  • Replace the 2 remaining influent valves and install new knifes valve to be able to isolate one of our SBR’s
  • Maintain a comprehensive spare parts inventory to ensure we only purchase what we need in the future.
  • Continue reducing total nitrogen discharge to the Pequabuck River and keep Plainville to the point where it no longer needs to buy nitrogen credits but will continue to be selling them.
  • Continue to evaluate Phosphorus removal technologies
  • Evaluate and troubleshoot plant water system which has been having issues since we had our flood. It is expected that this will be showing up on our Capital Improvement Plan in the near future.
  • Encourage and assist staff in achieving higher licenses allowing advancement within the Town of Plainville in the field of wastewater treatment.
  • Continue the project of replacing our existing RDT with a new one sized for Phosphorus removal and located closer to our sludge tanks so we’ll have less maintenance on cleaning pipes and will be able to utilize our old one as a back-up if needed.
  • Continue Identifying key components with long lead times and arrange to have spares on the shelf and available should the need arise.
  • Reduce overtime costs by focusing on preventative maintenance as opposed to reactive maintenance
  • Continue and expand collection system preventative maintenance program.  
  • Identified 15 manholes to be raised and rehabilitated during FY17. This will help reduce the amount of inflow and infiltration entering our system. 
  • Continue our relationship with our industrial users and go over their discharge permits to make sure they understand what is expected of them as well as inspect the systems they currently have in place.
  • Begin allowing our pumping stations to be monitored here at the facility.