Digging a Sewer Plant Upgrade

Easttown and Tredyffrin Townships are part of a consortium of nine Chester Counties that owns and operates the Valley Forge Sewer Authority.

The Authority broke ground last month on a a project that will allow the system to handle more flushes throughout the system.  Representatives from Easttown took part in the groundbreaking.

Here's more background on the story on the plant expansion as described on the authority's website:

Members of the Valley Forge Sewer Authority and elected officials held a groundbreaking to commemorate the start of construction for a $16 million project to upgrade processing and expand capacity of the wastewater treatment plant at 333 Pawling Road on the Schuylkill River near the confluence with Perkiomen Creek near Phoenixville.

 “Improvements to this treatment facility will support growth and economic activity throughout our service area,” said Dan Reese, VFSA Chairman. “We also undertake this project with the knowledge that expansion and new state-of-the-art facilities can provide greater reliability and effective odor control”

The project will increase plant capacity to 11.6 million gallons per day (MGD) from 9.2 MGD. A previous expansion in 2000 increased the plant’s original capacity of 8MGD to 9.2 MGD without the addition of any major equipment.  The treatment plant was constructed in 1976. The additional treatment capacity provided by this project is needed to serve growing areas in Chester County.

The project will add a fourth clarifier, a third gravity sludge thickener, a third sludge dewatering centrifuge and a new headworks structure. The work will also upgrade the HVAC and electrical systems in the operations building along with processing equipment, pumps and piping. Changes at the facility included construction that will make provisions for another project to add a third aeration tank at some time in the future if needed.

 The Valley Forge Sewer Authority serves approximately 22,000 customers in nine Chester County Communities: East Pikeland Township, Charlestown Township, Schuylkill Township, Easttown Township, East Whiteland Township, Malvern Borough, Tredyffrin Township and Willistown Township. The Authority has made periodic investments to upgrade capacity and efficiency, which has permitted it to operate with no significant rate increases in the past 20 years. The current project will not result in a rate hike.