OBSERVER Staff Writer
SILVER CREEK - The village of Silver Creek met with its wastewater treatment plant project engineers from Wendel Companies for an informational session with some good and mixed news.
Part of the good news for the village is its financing through Environmental Funding Corporation, a public benefit corporation, will be subsidized by 50 percent. Brian Sibiga of Wendel said its was his hope the village would receive 100 percent funding, but explained the village board and his firm have taken steps to "make the project viable without 100 percent funding" in place.
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OBSERVER Photo by Shirley Pulawski
Brian Sibiga of Wendel Companies explained costs and efficiency savings regarding its wastewater treatment plant upgrade project.
Sibiga told the board at a special meeting on Monday night the recent decision to begin an energy audit of the plant will help offset costs associated with the upgrades necessary for the consent order the village signed with the Department of Environmental Conserva-tion. The upgrades will put the village in compliance with DEC regulations, but not without significant costs.
Several estimates were given for the project. Sibiga said a 2009 study estimated costs at $7.5 million, but more recent estimates were lower.
"That was a preliminary study. We went through everything and came up with a scenario which would cost about $3.75 million," on the low end or $4.5 million as a "worst case scenario."
He explained the lower figures represented work which would include the use of existing equipment, such as the tank, which are still in good condition.
"We will also do some (aspects of the project) by gravity to eliminate pumping," he said.
"We're leveraging what you already have. The tank will save a couple million," Sibiga said. The $4.5 million figure, he explained, would be a scenario where many lines would require pumps to move liquids if they cannot flow with the help of gravity alone.
