Buffalo Sewer Authority. David P. Comerford General Manager

Transcription

1 Buffalo Sewer Authority David P. Comerford General Manager

2 Introduction Like it has since its inception in 1938, the Buffalo Sewer Authority has successfully safeguarded the public health and protected the Niagara River and other tributary streams from pollution by collecting and treating sewage generated by the City of Buffalo. The Authority also treated wastewater from all or parts of 11 municipalities in Western New York including Alden, Cheektowaga, Depew, Elma, Lancaster, Sloan, Tonawanda, and West Seneca.

3 Service Area

4 Introduction Continued The Authority maintains a sewer system of approximately 850 miles in length with ten outlying pump stations, including a 17 milliongallon capacity storm water retention basin. The Bird Island Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), the second largest Wastewater Treatment Plant in New York State, treated and disposed of an average sewer flow of nearly 150 million gallons per day (MGD), including our current contracts from outside districts which bring in more than 30 million gallons of sewage per day.

5 Introduction Continued We have witnessed rising costs in health care, gas and electric, chemicals, construction materials and nearly every commodity we purchase. Within this landscape, we have to devise more efficient ways of doing business and search for additional revenue sources to offset these increases and keep sewer rates down. With this in mind, we have instituted several initiatives to address these concerns.

6 Energy In regards to cutting energy costs, we have taken steps to reduce our bills considerably. A new centrifuge went on line in January 06 to dry our sludge. This operation uses less electricity than the previous belt presses and less natural gas to fire our incinerator because we have a dryer sludge. We have begun cleaning our aeration basins, which will make the process more efficient, cutting electrical usage substantially.

7 Centrifuge

8 Energy Upgrades to our digesters should allow us to generate enough gas (a by product of digestion of our sludge) to help run processes in the plant. We also have three applications in to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for grants on three other energy saving projects most notably, the construction of a new incinerator, which will allow us to burn more sludge, more efficiently.

9 Digester Tanks / Sphere

10 The upgrades to our digesters will allow us to take in more sludge and grease from customers outside the Authority s purview at a profitable tipping fee. New Revenue Sources We have engaged the services of an engineer jointly with Erie County to look at the Authority taking the flows from Erie County District #1 (the City of Lackawanna). This will cut costs for the County and increase our revenues without increasing cost concomitantly. We are in the process of taking over Erie County s industrial pre-treatment program, again increasing revenues without increasing cost.

11 Health Care We have negotiated contracts with our white and blue collar unions that will save the Authority money for health care into the future. All new employees in both unions will pay 15% of health care costs.

12 Productivity We are using Authority personnel for projects heretofore given to outside contractors at a premium price. We have instituted new policies to cut down on sick time abuse, tardiness and down time.

13 Environmental We continue to improve our infrastructure to meet the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Long Term Control Plan to comply with State and Federal environmental regulations. Any new road reconstruction project in the City includes a plan to separate storm from sanitary sewers. We also are in the midst of design of a Floatables Control Facility for the Hamburg Station in conformance with the CSO plan. We are currently designing storm separation for the southeast quadrant of the City on Cazenovia Creek.

14 Cornelius Creek Outfall

15 Table of Organization Board Members Herbert L. Bellamy Jr., Chairman David P. Comerford General Manager Oluwole A. McFoy Secretary to the General Manager Administrative Department Ronald Brown Executive Secretary Sewage Treatment Department James Keller Jr. Treatment Plant Superintendent Sewer Maintnenance Department Ed Hennessy Director Engineering Department Franklin J. DiMascio, P.E. Principal Sanitary Engineer Personnel/Intergovernmental Burt M. Mirti Director

16 Sewage Treatment Department Provides treatment for 550,000 users in Buffalo and various towns and villages in Erie County. The department is broken down into the following seven divisions: 1) Primary and secondary treatment 2) Incineration/Boilers 3) Maintenance 4) Pump Stations 5) Industrial Waste services 6) Laboratory 7) Yards and Grounds

17 Raw Waste Water Pump Traveling Bar Screen Vortex Grit Removal Primary Sedimentation Tank

18 Laboratory Monitors the performance of the Treatment Plant to ensure compliance with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Collects and analyzes samples at various points in the process on a daily basis.

19 Industrial Waste Services (IWS) Approximately 180 industries are permitted to discharge waste into BSA sewers. IWS operates a pretreatment control program that regulates this waste according to Environmental Protection Agency standards. IWS collects and analyzes samples from permitted industries to ensure compliance IWS will warn and fine violators.

20 Grease Trap

21 ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT Prepares contract drawings and specifications for replacement sewers, local storm relief measures, and for sewer extensions Coordinates all phases of construction projects with consulting firms, contractors, and City, County, and State agencies Prepares all construction contract documents Supervises, inspects, and approves all stages of construction until project closeout

22 Yards and Grounds Staff maintains buildings, yards and grounds for Treatment Plant and outlying pump stations. Plows snow and shovels walks for all grounds during winter.

23 Sewer Maintenance Department Sewer Patrol Unit makes daily inspections of overflow chambers, manholes and combined sewer overflows. Sewer Repair Unit repairs, adjusts and cleans all sewer and storm lines and appurtenances. 24 hour, 7 day a week Complaint Crew responds to citizen complaints. The Television Inspection Unit televises sewers for blockages and cave-ins and all deficiencies that need to be addressed. Vehicle Maintenance Unit maintains the Authority fleet of over 70 vehicles.

24 Maintenance Crew on the Job

25 Sewer Maintenance

26 Budget Buffalo Sewer Authority Budgets to $60,000,000 $58,000,000 $55,348,339 $55,392,633 BSA Annual Budget Appropriation $56,000,000 $54,000,000 $52,000,000 $50,000,000 $48,000,000 $50,556,561 $50,228,579 $53,087,242 $46,000,000 $44,000, BSA Fiscal Years

27 Budget-Funded Positions Buffalo Sewer Authority Funded Positions to Number of Positions Funded in Budget BSA Fiscal Years

28 Five Year Capital Plan This plan addresses the needs at the Bird Island Sewage Treatment Plant to comply with State and Federal regulations, to rehabilitate equipment, and to complete projects to reduce costs and improve operating efficiencies and to improve the collection system through rehabilitating combined sewers and constructing additional storm sewers. In accordance with the supplemental Bond Resolution of May 1993, the Buffalo Sewer Authority establishes a Five-Year Capital Program to fund major projects.

29 Five Year Capital Plan Funds for the Capital Program are generated from: bonds, which are paid back over a 20 to 40-year period; lease/purchase proceeds for projects with a shorter life cycle; and a cash reserve fund designated for capital projects. This reserve is sustained by the 15% debt service reserve requirement of the Buffalo Sewer Authority Bond Resolution. For each $1 million used from the capital reserve, sewer system users save approximately $600,000 in interest charges as compared to bond issues. The Sewer Authority s current debt limit is $125 million. The outstanding bonded debt of the Authority is $80,514,891 as of July 1, 2007.

30 Budget Appropriations PERSONAL SERVICES $10,831,440 CAPITAL OUTLAY $348,500 UTILITY SERVICES $11,408,370 PURCHASE OF SERVICES $5,410,369 FRINGE BENEFITS $7,473,357 MATERIALS & SUPPLIES $3,162,187 FINANCIAL CHARGES $942,404 DEBT SERVICE & RESERVE $15,783,356 TRAVEL & TRANS $32,650 TOTAL $55,392,633

31 Appropriations DEBT SERVICE & RESERVE 27% TRAVEL & TRANS 0% PERSONA L SERVICES 20% CAPITAL OUTLAY 1% FINANCIAL CHARGES 2% UTILITY SERVICES 21% MATERIALS & SUPPLIES 6% FRINGE BENEFITS 13% PURCHASE OF SERVICES 10%

32 Revenues MISCELLANEOUS 2% FLAT RATE SEWER RENTS 7% INTEREST INCOME 4% METERED SEWER RENTS 46% ASSESSMENT SEWER RENT 21% INDUSTRIAL WASTE 2% OUTSIDE CITY CONTRACTS 18%

33 Revenues FLAT RATE SEWER RENTS $3,784,600 METERED SEWER RENTS 25,819,033 ASSESSMENT SEWER RENT 11,835,850 OUTSIDE CITY CONTRACTS 9,700,000 INDUSTRIAL WASTE 890,500 INTEREST INCOME 2,458,900 MISCELLANEOUS 903,750 TOTAL $55,392,633

34 Time and Attendance Sick-U Sick-S Vaca PL Comp W.Comp Payless FMLA January February March April May TOTAL *NOTE: current only to May 20, 2007

35 Time and Attendance Sick-U Sick-S 2000 Vaca Hours 1500 PL Comp 1000 W.Comp Payless FMLA January February March April May