OVERVIEW

In order to protect and preserve local streams and rivers from water pollution, the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners (PVSC) operate one of the country's largest treatment plants for the wastewaters of northern New Jersey. With many expansions, and recent upgrading to secondary treatment, the facility has been striving, since its initial operation in 1924, to improve local water quality in accordance with federal and state water quality legislation.

DEVELOPMENT AND EXTENT OF THE PVSC ORGANIZATION

In 1902, by a special act of the State Legislature, the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners was formed as an agency of the State to reduce pollution of the Passaic River and its tributaries. Passaic Valley's early anti- pollution activities actually predated the adoption of the New Jersey Sewerage Authority Law. The organization is one of the oldest and largest, in terms of operational capability, regional sewerage commissions in the United States and is directed by a Board of Commissioners appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate.

The heavily industrialized service area of northern New Jersey encompasses all of the land draining into the Passaic River from the Great Falls in Paterson to Newark Bay on the Atlantic Ocean. Presently, there are 48 municipalities in portions of Passaic, Bergen, Essex and Hudson Counties with a population of about 1.3 million. The influent flow is about 330 million gallons per day (MGD) (14.45 m^3/s) and is estimated to be a fourth of the total wastewater generated in all of New Jersey.

In addition to the conveyance and treatment of wastewaters, PVSC is also responsible for pollution abatement for the portion of the Passaic River within its service area. The Commission owns about 25 miles (40 km) of intercepting sewers ranging from 3.5 to 13 feet (ft) (1.07 to 3.96 m) in diameter and a 12-ft (3.66 m) diameter, 6-fingered ocean outfall terminating at Robins Reef in New York Harbor. There are several field pumping stations in the collection system along with about 2,000 miles (3,218 km) of lateral sewers owned by the various contributing towns.

DEVELOPMENT OF PVSC TREATMENT FACILITIES

The Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners was formed as an agency of the State of New Jersey in 1902. A report completed in 1908 provided the conceptual plan for a primary treatment plant and pumping station to be located in Newark near Newark Bay and for an intercepting sewer to be built parallel to the Passaic River between the Great Falls in the City of Paterson and the mouth of the river in Newark Bay.

Construction of the original facilities recommend in the 1908 report was completed in 1924. The original plant contained a 21-mile (34 km) long interceptor with pumping stations located at Wallington and Yantacaw, a primary treatment facility at Newark Bay containing a steam plant pumping station, and a 5-mile long outfall into New York Harbor.

Since the completion of the original treatment plant and interceptor in 1924, numerous plant expansions have been made to increase capacity. In the 1930's and 1940's, two additional sedimentation basins were constructed. In the 1950's and 1960's, the sedimentation basins were mechanized, the steam pumps in the main station were replaced with electric and diesel drives, and their capacity was increased. Sludge handling facilities were added and modifications were made to the grit chambers and screenings facility.

The facility originally provided only primary treatment for an average sewage flow of about 150 mgd (6.57 m^3/s). Additional construction was initiated in the early 1970's as an important step toward improving treatment, increasing capacity, and implementing EPA requirements concerning chlorination. Those projects consisted of a grit and screenings chamber, grit and screenings incinerator facilities, chlorination facilities, and an Administration and Control Building containing an analytical laboratory.

In order to bring the plant into full compliance with more stringent EPA requirements on water quality, an upgrading to secondary treatment levels was required. Plant design began in 1969 with a 1973 report initiating Step 2 and Step 3 Grants for construction. Field construction began in 1977 and secondary plant start-up began in October, 1981.

The new secondary facilities were constructed alongside the original existing Primary Clarifiers. The first few years of secondary plant operation did not have the benefits of the primary settling facilities. After start-up, all flows passed directly into the secondary system while the old primary basins were demolished (summer, 1982) and new ones constructed in their place. Consequently, start-up of the primary clarifiers in December, 1985 resulted in many process and operational changes.

In order to meet the March 17, 1991 NJDEP deadline to end Sludge Ocean Dumping, a new Interim Sludge Dewatering Facility was constructed. Plant design started in late 1989 and the Facility was started up on March 11, 1991.

SERVICE AREA AND WASTEWATER CHARACTERISTICS

The plant's heavily industrialized 100 square mile (259 km^2) section of northern New Jersey contains a variety of wastewater dischargers. The plant's influent flow is about 15% industrial by volume and 50% industrial by strength. In 1993 there were about 380,000 residential units, 360 large apartment buildings, 2205 large commercial institutions and 380 major industries in the service area.

Of the 380 major industrial plants 296 require pretreatment due to their chemical or heavy metal wastewaters. The dominant industries are electroplaters, metal finishers, pharmaceutical and organic chemical manufacturers, textile dyers, hospitals, electronic products manufacturers, and newsprint recycling mills.

Operationally the treatment plant must respond to an influent wastewater whose pollutant strength is about double that of the usual domestic sewage with industrial shock loads of 50 to 100 percent above the average. During rainy weather the flow from combined sewers can result in rapid and large hydraulic surges into the plant. About 25% of the drainage basin has combined sewers which contribute 60% of the plant's flow. This combination of strength, industrial component, and system dynamics create a very difficult wastewater for treatment. The plant generates approximately 250 dry tons (227 metric tons) of thickened sludge per day.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TREATMENT FACILITY

The Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners wastewater facility is a specialized secondary treatment plant designed to remove approximately 93% of the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and 94% of the total suspended solids (TSS). The secondary treatment approach utilizes a pure oxygen-activated sludge process with wet air oxidation for sludge treatment.

The plant is capable of treating an average of 330 mgd (14.45 m^3/s) of wastewater with peak dry weather flows of 400 mgd (17.52 m^3/s) and peak wet weather flows of 550 mgd (24.09 m^3/s). Treatment capacity is in compliance with requirements through the year 2000 and the hydraulic capacity through the year 2040.

The 172 acre (0.70 km^2) plant is one of the largest modern wastewater facility in the Eastern United States and one of the half-dozen largest in the entire Country. It contains over eight miles (13 km) of access roads, over one mile (1.6 km) of 15-foot-wide (4.57 m) utility tunnels, miles of sewers and storm drains, miles of process pipes, thousands of instruments and valves, hundreds of pumps, and a 450 ft (137.16 m) long bridge over Doremus Avenue.

View the Basic Parts of a Wastewater Treatment Plant