Oakmont wastewater treatment plant to enter construction phase

Progress is sweet, or as sweet as it can be when it comes to Oakmont’s wastewater treatment plant on Ann Street.

Since 2021, borough officials have been overseeing a project to improve and modernize the plant for the first time since 2008. The project is being managed by consulting agency Hatch Engineering.

Council approved the move to the construction phase of the project at the recommendation of Colin Lampark, project manager at Hatch Engineering.

“We’ve been coming intermittently to council meetings since 2021 discussing this project,” Lampark said.

In an effort to “justify” a more than $800,000 expenditure to move the project to the next phase, Lampark reviewed the history of the project.

The project began with five goals in mind, he said. The first was to increase plant capacity from 4 million to 6 million gallons of wastewater per day — a 50% increase.

Other goals include incorporating modern technologies such as ultraviolet disinfection and an expanded clarifier, and becoming more environmentally conscious by improving the aeration system.

“We’re about 20 years behind,” Lampark said.

The improvements are designed to enhance efficiency, lower energy costs and increase wastewater treatment capacity.

Construction was awarded to Lone Pine, based in Washington County, for a base cost of $14.5 million.

A more than $800,000 expenditure was approved to retain Hatch’s services to oversee and manage the construction phase that’s predicted to take about two years to complete. The timeline calls for construction to begin in mid-July.

“If the work could be done sequentially, it could be a lot shorter, but this is an active treatment plant,” Lampark said. “We have to keep things moving and operable, so things have to be done in a certain way.”

Lampark said the the work is not expected to cause an increases of any odors from the treatment plant since the operations are not dealing directly with solid waste.

The project’s predicted completion date is June 13, 2027.

The total cost of the project is set at just over $18.8 million. The borough will be drawing from more than $18.9 million of available funds from a combination of $16 million in bonds, $1 million in bond earnings, $1.5 million in grants and $430,000 in other borough earnings.