By JIMMY LAWTON

OGDENSBURG -- Ogdensburg’s wastewater treatment plan needs more than $10 million in improvements in the near future, according to Ogdensburg City Manager Sarah Purdy.

Among the most pressing issues is mandatory $5.3 million project to construct an 800,000 combined sewer overflow equalization tank that must be completed by 2019.

The city hired C2ae Engineering to create a capital improvement plan that prioritizes needed upgrades based on needs and potential savings.

According to the report an additional $5.2 million will be needed improvements in the near future.

The highest priority items include:

• Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and overall electrical distribution systems – Reduces the ability to operate sequential wastewater treatment processes timely and effectively; requires significant manual time and attention to address; increases potential for effluent violating discharge limits

• Primary and secondary digesters and gas capture system – Prevents the capture of methane gas to convert and reuse as energy for the treatment process and overall facility demands which could be used to reduce utility costs

• Sludge filter press equipment – Reduces dewatering effectiveness leaving a high-moisture content that increases costs to process, handle and dispose of sludge

• Comminutor – Allows larger solids and debris to clog process equipment and reduce overall treatment process effectiveness

Purdy says some of the improvements will provide returns on investment due to efficiencies. She said the city’s plan to contract with the Development Authority of the North Country for management a the plant, could be beneficial in seeking grants and implementing upgrades prioritized in the capital improvement plan.

“I think DANC is going to do, in a shorter period of time, what would take us a lot longer to do, if we contract with them,” she said.

The city is already exploring grant funding from state and federal resources. C2ae reported at a recent meeting that the city was unsuccessful in a recent opportunity to help finance the project.

The executive summary for the plan is available at city hall.