Survey Returns Needed for Possible East Franklin Improvement

by Jonathan Weaver

 

 

East Franklin Township supervisors are planning for ultraviolet disinfection at the Cowansville treatment plant, but without resident feedback, the project might not be funded.

 

Able to use nearly $82,500 in Community Development Block Grant funding, supervisors hope to make the update, but need more residents to return surveys to the County Planning and Development office in Kittanning to prove the area is of low-to-moderate income requirements.

 

Township Engineer Ken Howard of Bankson Engineering explained the total cost estimates to township supervisors last night.

 

“I put a conservative budget together that you could use hopefully for this CDBG application. It’s probably a lot more than what we anticipated in dollar amounts,” Howard said.

 

Bankson Engineers received a $25,000 quote last month from Mack Industries – which has its Pennsylvania service location in Vienna, Ohio – for the equipment and concrete tank – which Howard estimated might end up costing about $27,500 due to inflation over the next several months and extra expenses.

 

SE Construction Group of Marion Center (Indiana County) provided a quote of $48,000 for installation of the equipment, tank piping and electrical – which Howard also “bumped up” $4,500 to $52,500 for extra expense

 

Sensor Provider DAS Group of Pittsburgh estimated a two-channel dissolved oxygen meter will cost about $9,750 before more equipment is purchased for about $5,000 to move that equipment and record the data – a cost estimate of $15,000.

 

Finally, installation would cost about another $20,000 to total construction costs about $115,000 before construction contingency, design, permitting and contract administration costs are factored in.

 

“All of those items add up to $156,000 – I’m not sure if that fits in to the next two years of block grant monies or not,” Howard said. “We could always pull the (dissolved oxygen) and (acidity) sensors out, but if we don’t build that part of the project, somebody has to be there daily to pull those samples. If we can build this project with the sensors, it’s automated and that data is being obtained remotely.

 

“I would expect the (Department of Environmental Protection) to make that a permit requirement on future permits for other treatment plants – they’re starting to do that across the state.”

 

Supervisor David Stewart said he is at the plans daily to make sure operation is smooth, but said the sensors would help.

 

Income surveys are confidential once submitted and will allow County Community Division Director Jennifer Bellas to submit by the holiday season as hoped.