City Council to talk Water and Sewer Improvements
Rare Mid-Week Council of The Whole Committee Scheduled for Wednesday
On February 19th, the City Council will meet as a Committee of the Whole to hear a presentation about water and sewer infrastructure development on the city’s west side. Interestingly enough, this meeting was set by the administration, before this past week’s massive water main break.
The agenda for the meeting gives scant details about the rare Wednesday meeting (these events usually occur on Monday), but the memorandum below provides a bit more insight.
Attached below is the Arcadis Study referenced above in the memorandum. The study was designed to determine what kind of improvements would be needed to the water and sewer infrastructure in the west side of town to support a 1,000 acre “mega site” for industrial development.
The study evaluated the infrastructure improvements required to support the industrial development by accommodating an additional two million gallons per day (MGD) of peak water demand and one MGD of peak sanitary flow.
Water System Evaluation
The study presents three alternative solutions for the water system, each with its own benefits and challenges:
Alternative 1: Dedicated Extra High Zone Transmission Pipeline
This option proposes constructing a 5-mile dedicated transmission pipeline from the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) to the industrial site. It offers minimal disruption to existing infrastructure but comes at the highest cost of $49.9 million. While it provides a straightforward solution, it offers limited benefits to the existing system and minimal flexibility for phased construction.
Alternative 2: Integrated High Zone Transmission Pipeline
This $43.6 million option suggests constructing 4.2 miles of additional High Zone transmission pipeline. It allows for phased construction, increases system resilience, and utilizes existing pump station capacity. However, it presents constructability challenges in populated areas and may require operational changes.
Alternative 3: Partial Integrated High Zone Transmission Pipeline
The least expensive option at $34.1 million, this alternative proposes constructing only 2.2 miles of parallel transmission pipelines at key locations. While it offers similar benefits to Alternative 2 at a lower cost, it may exacerbate potential issues with tank operations and turnover in the High Zone.
All alternatives include the construction of approximately 3.9 miles of 16-inch diameter backbone transmission pipelines within the industrial site and a new 2.5 million gallon water tower, estimated to cost an additional $15.8 million.
The study highlights several key considerations for the water system. The integrated solutions (Alternatives 2 and 3) could provide broader benefits to the existing system but may require operational changes and present construction challenges in populated areas. The study also notes the need for further investigation into expanding carbon dioxide storage at the WTP, evaluating well capacity and backup power needs, and conducting a more comprehensive update of the water master plan.
Sanitary System Evaluation
For the sanitary sewer system, the study presents six alternatives grouped into three main approaches:
Alternatives 1A and 1B: Increase Sewer Capacity
These options propose increasing capacity of existing sewers near the Fairgrounds, either by upsizing or adding parallel pipes. They are the least expensive options at $1.6 to $1.7 million but may limit future growth potential.
Alternatives 2A and 2B: New Sewer Route Along Dorset Road
These alternatives suggest constructing a new sewer route to bypass existing capacity constraints. While more expensive at approximately $6.9 million, they provide the most additional capacity for future growth.
Alternatives 3A and 3B: Storage Tank to Facilitate Wet Weather Flows
These options propose constructing a 1.1 million gallon storage tank to capture wet weather flows. Costs range from $5.1 to $7.0 million, depending on whether an above-ground or buried tank is selected. While offering operational flexibility, these alternatives introduce new maintenance requirements and potential odor concerns.
All sanitary sewer alternatives require approximately 18,500 feet of new 12-inch gravity mains to connect the industrial site to the existing system, estimated to cost an additional $10 million.
The study emphasizes that the sanitary system alternatives differ in their approach to managing increased flows. The capacity increase options (1A and 1B) are the least expensive but may limit future growth potential. The new sewer route options (2A and 2B) provide the most additional capacity but involve significant new construction. The storage tank options (3A and 3B) offer flexibility but introduce operational complexities.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The report concludes by emphasizing that these recommendations are based on preliminary information and should be revisited as specific development plans materialize. It suggests several next steps:
Update the water and sewer master plans, including recalibrating the hydraulic models for the entire service area.
Conduct additional flow monitoring to refine the sanitary sewer model, particularly regarding infiltration after wet weather events.
Refine cost estimates based on construction timing, higher degree of certainty, and potential industry funding opportunities.
The study provides Troy with a solid foundation for planning the infrastructure needed to support the industrial mega site. However, it also underscores the complexity of such a large-scale development and the need for careful consideration of long-term impacts on the city's water and sewer systems. The City Council will need to weigh the costs, benefits, and potential risks of each alternative as they move forward with this significant economic development opportunity.
The meeting will be held Wednesday night starting at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers, and as always, the public is invited and encouraged to attend. This publication will also put the video recording of the meeting on our YouTube channel and provide a review of the meeting in a later edition of this publication.
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