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PROJECTS

Strategic Planning Process

The Authority's Maintenance & Strategic Planning Committee is responsible for the development and update of the Strategic Capital Plan for the Authority.  This Plan will look forward over the next twenty (20) years for capital intensive projects that will need to be implemented.  This document will be reviewed annually and the project's priority will be updated as needed. 

This web page will be updated to include information on current projects and those anticipated within the next five (5) years.  In addition, a summary of the Strategic Plan will be made available here when adopted by the Authority Board.

The Authority is committed to maintaining its infrastructure for the protection of public health and to protect our environment.  Between 2010 and 2020, the Authority will have invested approximately $32 million in its infrastructure. 

Recent studies show that $1 million dollars in capital expenditures supports 16 jobs. (see study)

Crum Creek Pump Station Replacement - 2019 to 2020

The Authority has awarded contracts for the replacement of our Crum Creek Pump Station.   This pump station has been in continuous use since its construction in 1938.  The new pump station is located on the existing site and will have a peak capacity of 24 mgd.  The station will have four 290 horse power submersible pumps.

Crum Creek Force Main Replacement - 2017 to 2018

The force main serving our Crum Creek Pump Station has been in continuous service since it was installed in 1938.  The force main was at the end of its service life and required replacement.  The contracts for this project was awarded in July 2017.  The new force main is 30 inches in diameter.  In addition, the gravity line from the end of the force main to the Central Delaware Pump Station was relined to extend its service life another 50 years.

Crum Creek Interceptor Capital Improvements - 2010

The Crum Creek Interceptor was constructed in 1938.  It starts at Chester Pike and runs north along Crum Creek, to Nether Providence.  In 1960, the line was extended to the Delaware County Community College in order to provide service to the Township of Marple.  The Trout Run Interceptor branches off and extends to the intersection of Springfield Road and West Chester Pike.

The interceptor was initially designed to service the entire Lower Crum Creek Watershed (south of West Chester Pike).  However, the 1960 extension was sized only to serve Marple Township.  Three remaining communities decided not to connect due to a lack of development within their boundaries.  This resulted in the upper part of the interceptor not having capacity for the entire lower Crum Creek Watershed as initially anticipate.

Forty years later, the vision of servicing the lower Crum Creek Watershed has become a reality.  The three additional Townships (Edgmont, Newtown, and Upper Providence) have joined the Authority.  Due to development, each of these municipalities now need centralized sewer service.  The Crum Creek Interceptor, parts of which are over 60 years old, needed rehabilitation and in certain areas, additional capacity.

This project rehabilitated the interceptor and increased it's capacity to service the entire Lower Crum Creek Watershed.

On November 9, 2010, the Authority awarded two construction contracts to Metra Industries for a combine price of $14,723,010.

On December 7, 2010 the Authority approved a bond sale for $16,515,000.  Together with approximately $3 million in cash and another $1 million from a state grant, the Authority refinanced its outstanding debt and paid for this project.

On November 13, 2012, two years after we started, the Authority approved the final construction change order and approved the final construction payment.  While the project lasted several months longer than anticipated, we came in under budget.

This Project was financed in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth Financing Agency

 

Sellers Ave. Trunk Line - 2007 

The Sellers Ave. Interceptor is located just south of I-95 in Ridley Township.  It has been in continuous service since 1938.

This is the section at the very end of our system.  It carries almost all of our wastewater flows.  The line terminates at the Central Pump Station also located on Sellers Ave.  This pump station is owned and operated by the Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority (DELCORA).

The support structures for the interceptor were in immediate need of replacement.  The Authority opened bids on a contract to rehabilitate the line.  The contract was awarded at the Authority's March 2007 meeting.  The final cost for this project was just over $990,000.  About half of this cost was for the temporary bypass pumping that was required in order to maintain service.

Prospect Park Interceptor - 2006

The Authority completed renovations to its Prospect Park Interceptor.  This line, also installed in the late 1930's, allowed a substantial amount of groundwater into our system.  The entire line was either replaced or re-lined.  We are seeing a reduction in flows as a result of this work.  The cost for this project was approximately $1.2 million.

Crum Creek Pump Station - 2006

The Crum Creek Pump Station was renovated (2006) with a new motor control center that features variable frequency drives (VFDs) and programmable logic controllers (PLCs).  In addition, various safety features were built into the station including an improved separation of the wet well and dry well.  The project has already shown a reduction in electrical consumption and an increased in safety for the operator.  This project cost about $350,000.

In April 2009, the Authority awarded a contract to Keystone Engineering to conduct an energy audit at the pump station.  This study evaluated our electrical consumption as well as our equipment.   The study determined that replacing existing equipment with energy efficient models would not be cost-effective due the significant time to recover their costs.   However, the report did outlined some changes in the way we operate the facility that could save us money.  The most significant recommendation was how to negotiate the purchase of energy once the electric rate caps expire.

In 2009, Motor #3 failed at the pump station.   It was decided to replace both Motor #3 and Pump # 3 with more efficient and larger capacity units.  The replacement contact was valued at just over $73,000.  The Authority is now studying the efficiencies of newer equipment.  Normally it is not cost-effective to replace existing working equipment with high efficiency models.  However, we are interested in being able to insert larger capacity and higher efficiency units into the same foot print.  At the same time, we will be evaluating the remaining units (installed in 1960) to determine if they need immediate replacement or increased maintenance.

During the replacement of Motor & Pump #3, the Authority rented a standby unit.  Since all of the units in the pump station were the same age (50 years) we were concerned about a second unit failing during a time when we experience increased flows due to snow melting and increase rain fall.  This is a link to pictures of the standby unit that was installed.  It was removed in late March 2010.

Catastrophic Failure at the Crum Creek Pump Station - 2010

At approximately 4:00 PM on Tuesday, July 20, 2010, a pipe failed inside the Crum Creek Pump Station.  Within minutes, the Station flooded.  As the water rose in the station, the pumps and eventually the motors were submerged.  Once this happened, the pump station stopped functioning.

The pump station operators arrived just as the pipe burst.   They immediately activated the emergency response plan.   We have an amazing group of individuals and companies that responded to this incident. 

We have taken a number of photos to document in incident.  They have been placed into two MS Word documents.  You can see them by clicking on the links below.

Click here to see photos from the initial response.

Click here to see photos from the day after.

All of the motors and pumps were removed for cleaning and repairs.  The Authority rented pumps in order to maintain sewage flow to the treatment plant. 

On November 3, 2010 the Crum Creek Pump Station was put back on line.  The Authority wishes to extend our sincere thanks to a number of individuals from numerous organization.  Our Authority Engineer, Charles Catania, Jr. and his staff, the operations staff from Miller Environmental Services, Municipal Maintenance Services that rehabilitated all of our pumps and motors, Godwin Pumps for providing temporary pumps, and A.J. Jurich Co. for providing all of our emergency work.