News & Events


Grit Removal & Structural Upgrade

Work on this plant upgrade started in early 2000. A new grit removal system is being added ahead of the primary settling tanks and several structural repairs will also be done.

Energy Performance Upgrade

The IAWWTF is more than half way through a multi-year, $8 million, energy performance upgrade. Completed improvements include:
  • Weather-sealing existing buildings
  • Installation of energy efficient lighting fixtures and bulbs
  • Installation of 7.5 kW photovoltaic solar panels on a roof
  • Improvements to the air handling HVAC equipment
  • Replacing two aging 100 kW co-generators with four state-of-the-art 65 kilowatt micro-turbines
  • Replacing one hot water boiler with two smaller, more efficient units
  • More efficient mixers were added to the anaerobic digesters and a new methane storage bubble was installed
  • New aeration blowers, air diffusers, and a dissolved oxygen control system was added
  • The long-term cost savings of these improvements are guaranteed by the contractor. Savings result from decreased energy consumption and increased renewable energy production (primarily bioogas along with some solar photovoltaic). Pre-upgrade, biogas generated 25-30% of the plant's combined (heat and electricity) energy needs. The upgrade achieved its goals of lowering costs and greatly increasing the plant's renewable energy production.
Bar Screen Upgrade
At the headworks of the plant, the one-inch spaced bar screens were replaced with 6mm (about 1/4") screens. These remove far more of the rags, wipes, and other large debris from the raw influent.

Trucked Waste Receiving Building
The new trucked waste receiving building was completed in 2014. It is larger than the previous building and can accommodate a tractor trailer or two smaller trucks simultaneously. Tankage was expanded by 50% and equipment for better rock removal and odor control was added.

Sewage Pollution Right to Know Act

The 2012 "Sewage Pollution Right to Know Act" requires that any discharge of partially or untreated sewage from a publicly owned treatment works (POTW), including their collection system, be reported to the State within four hours of discovery. The State is then responsible for distributing this information to stakeholders. 

Please note that a notification should not be an immediate cause for alarm or concern. Sewage backups, main breaks, and construction can all release small amounts of sewage and are generally not a cause for concern. As of yet, the NYDEC has not set any minimum volume threshold for reporting.

The main mechanism for the general public to find additional information about reported discharges is through the NYDEC's new Sewage Discharge Reports website.

Please contact the Water and Sewer Division at (607) 272-1717 if you have any questions about the reporting requirement.