Tighe & Bond Develops SCADA System for Treatment Facility
The combined sewer overflow (CSO) located at the end of Jones Ferry Road is the largest remaining CSO in the City of Chicopee, MA. This CSO accounts for approximately 34% of the total CSO volume from the City, releasing an estimated 158 million gallons of untreated combined sewage to the Connecticut River annually. A June 1999 Consent Order issued by U.S. EPA spurred the development of the City’s Long-Term CSO Control Plan, which resulted in the selection of satellite treatment for abatement of this CSO.
The Jones Ferry CSO Treatment Facility has a design capacity of 40.7 MGD, although the facility has successfully treated flows approaching 70 MGD. Tighe & Bond designed the CSO treatment facility to first maximize flow to the City’s water pollution control facility to receive full secondary treatment. Excess wet weather flows are diverted into the Jones Ferry CSO Treatment Facility, minimizing the amount of untreated combined sewage discharged to the river. The design incorporates a high flow bypass structure on the 72-inch combined sewer pipe and an influent diversion structure at the inlet of the treatment facility. Treatment includes screening, pumping, high-rate chlorine disinfection, and dechlorination. The facility also includes flushing gates and wash-down systems to simplify cleaning and dewatering at the completion of a storm event. A SCADA system developed by Tighe & Bond provides integrated control and alarming for the facility.
Beyond the treatment process, many design features were driven by the City’s desire to minimize the impact of the facility on the surrounding homes. Enclosed tankage and screening areas, an activated carbon odor control system, and a neighborhood-friendly architectural appearance all helped to increase the facility’s acceptance.
The project also included sustainable design elements, including a rainwater reuse plant water system, stormwater infiltration, and a number of energy-efficient design elements. Tighe & Bond also prepared a subsurface exploration program and provided geotechnical engineering recommendations as part of the design.
Services Snapshot
Tighe & Bond provided evaluation, hydraulic analysis design, permitting, and construction phase engineering services for the development of the CSO on Jones Ferry Road.
