FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE10-93
October 26, 2010
CONTACT:
Farrell Sklerov / Michael Saucier (718) 595-6600
DEP Completes Electrical and Equipment Upgrades at Bowery Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant
Work Allows Nitrogen Reduction Technology Installation to Continue
Environmental Protection Commissioner Cas Holloway today announced the completion of a project to upgrade and replace infrastructure and equipment at the Bowery Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant in Steinway, Queens. The project will improve overall efficiency and reliability and is a necessary precursor to a project currently under way that will significantly reduce nitrogen discharges that can impair water quality. The work just completed is part of a $253 million upgrade that includes replaced electrical systems; upgraded collection equipment; rehabilitated gravity thickeners; and repaired deteriorating walls and walkways.
"We are continuously improving our wastewater treatment plants and water and
sewer networks throughout the city to make sure they are reliable for future
generations," said Commissioner Holloway. "Improving our water infrastructure is
a key goal of Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC 2030, and this investment is critical to
the reliability and long-term sustainability of the Bowery Bay Wastewater
Treatment Plant, which treats up to 150 million gallons of wastewater each
day. The new equipment replaces outdated infrastructure that required
frequent repairs, and lays the foundation for a significant reduction in the
amount of nitrogen Bowery Bay discharges as part of the treatment process. The
goal of all this work is to continue the dramatic improvements in water quality
throughout New York harbor that are critical to the development of New York
City's more than 500 miles of waterfront."
The project included a mix of electrical and mechanical upgrades and
replacements. The electrical work included an upgrade from 208 volts to a much
more efficient 480 volts. The electrical distribution improvements replace older
equipment that had become less reliable and will provide the electrical supply
for existing equipment and sufficient capacity for future needs.
The rehabilitated gravity thickeners are a major component of the solids
handling system. The solids removed from the wastewater are made uniform in the
gravity thickeners before being sent to the digesters. Reliable thickeners
improve digester performance which results in better digester gas production and
reduced disposal costs. Failure of a thickener can result in the overload of the
remaining units; this can cause process upsets that would result in poor
performance and odors.
The completion of the infrastructure upgrades at Bowery Bay was necessary to
allow the ongoing installation of biological nitrogen removal technology, which
is scheduled for completion in 2012. The technology will reduce nitrogen
discharges at the plant by more than 50%, from approximately 26,000 pounds per
day to 12,000 pounds per day. In August, Commissioner Holloway announced the
operation of enhanced treatment measures to cut by 45% the amount of nitrogen
being discharged into the East River at the Hunts Point Wastewater Treatment
Plant in the Bronx. That phase of work cost $280 million, and a second $20
million phase will reduce nitrogen discharges further. DEP is investing an
additional $770 million in nitrogen reduction measures at Bowery Bay and the
other two Upper East River wastewater treatment plants: Tallman Island and Wards
Island. These projects are scheduled to be complete in 2012, and will reduce
total nitrogen discharges into the East River by more than 52%.
Although it is not a pathogen and poses no risk to human beings, high levels
of nitrogen can degrade the overall ecology of a waterway. They can lead to
reduced levels of dissolved oxygen in waterways and excessive algae growth,
especially in warm weather months.
The Bowery Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant went into operation in 1939 and is
designed to treat 150 million gallons of wastewater a day. New Yorkers produce,
and DEP treats, 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater every day. The
wastewater is collected through 7,400 miles of lateral sewers that flow downhill
into large interceptor sewers, which lead directly to the city's 14 wastewater
treatment plants.
Mayor Bloomberg has made investing in the city's infrastructure a top
priority. Since 2002, the City has invested more than $5 billion in upgrading
its 14 wastewater treatment plants. That work has already yielded benefits for
New York's waterways, which are the cleanest they have been in 100 years since
the City began collecting water quality data in New York Harbor. DEP also is
reaching city-wide monthly average Clean Water Act secondary treatment standards
for the first time ever – three years ahead of schedule.
DEP manages the city's water supply, providing more than 1 billion gallons of
water each day to more than 9 million residents, including 8 million in New York
City. New York City's water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than
125 miles from the city, and comprises 19 reservoirs, and three controlled
lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring
water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,400 miles of
sewer lines take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. For more
information, visit www.nyc.gov/dep or
follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nycwater.