Upgrades needed to handle capacity in Centreville

CENTREVILLE — Doubling plant size and finding alternate means of discharging waste are some of the topics as proposed Centreville wastewater treatment plant upgrades come closer to fruition.

Along with Whitman, Requardt and Associates, the engineering consultant to the town, Jenial Turner, Maryland Department of Public Works program manager presented information on the upgrades needed to the town’s Wastewater Treatment Plant to the Centreville Town Council April 4.

The project to expand the liquid and solids treatment capacity of the plant has been in the pipeline for at least three years, Turner said.

The Centreville wastewater treatment plant was last upgraded and expanded in 2003, and the facility is in significant need of an upgrade, according to Turner.

At this time, approximately 80 percent of the plant’s current capacity of .542 MGD (million gallons per day), is being utilized, she said.

A new wastewater treatment plant project proposes an increase of .458 MGD for a total capacity of one MGD.

Currently, the wastewater treatment plant discharges to a local water reuse farm through spray irrigation and Corsica River groundwater disposal, Turner said.

For a capacity increase in that size, the town will have to seek options for discharge and disposal of excess waste as the plant’s current groundwater disposal methods would not be sufficient enough to support one million gallons, Turner said.

The public works department and engineers are currently in the process of developing the preliminary engineering report and concept design for the new treatment plant and are currently reviewing comments and feedback received from MDE in December 2023.

Public works continually meets with MDE to discuss year-round stream discharge and is leading interest groups regarding effluent disposal and various options going forward, she said.

Noting the concern citizens can have when told the plant is discharging into the river, “We want to make sure that we are armed with information so that we can provide that to the community,” Turner said.

The preliminary engineering report is expected to be finalized by June with the design phase to immediately follow for a year of planning. The construction and permitting bidding phase is proposed to start for the end of the year and be concluded by 2026. Final construction for the wastewater treatment plant is expected to be completed by 2029.

“All while still working on trying to figure out where we’re going to dispose of the effluent,” she said.

Public works is also continually thinking ahead of continual growth of the town and further adjustments and scalability of the plant’s design decades down the line.

Wastewater treatment plant upgrades and expansions have been adopted into the county’s comprehensive water and sewer plan.

The total project is estimated at $38 million with grant options currently being explored.

Thus far revenue sources include Bay Restoration Funds in the amount of $14.9 million, congressionally directed spending $2.1 million, and $2 million worth of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

Council President Ashley Kaiser, who has a background in nonprofits and raising state government funding, encouraged fellow council members to continually advocate on the town’s behalf for large projects funding.

“It’s an exceptionally challenging budget year in a lot of places, here included,” she said.

More information about the wastewater treatment plant is expected to be presented to the council around July.