Plant Information

Written by Larry Travis, Jr., Plant Operator

The Tri-Boro Municipal Authority wastewater treatment plant is proud to serve the boroughs of Susquehanna Depot, Oakland, and Lanesboro.

In 1972 the United States government enacted the Clean Water Act. This act established goals and specific limits for the protection of the nation's waterways. It also provided for funding for the construction of water pollution control facilities.

In December of 1975 the Tri-Boro wastewater treatment plant began operation. This plant along with pump stations and interceptor sewers was built at a cost of over 2 million dollars with the federal government paying 75% of the costs.

The wastewater collection and conveyance system includes approximately 8.9 miles of old combined and new sanitary sewers and four pumping stations. Susquehanna Depot and Oakland Boroughs are primarily combined systems and each has a regulator chamber which limits flow to the treatment plant by bypassing wet-weather flows to the Susquehanna River. The collection system for Lanesboro is a sanitary system.

The wastewater treatment process consists of flow metering, screening, grit removal, raw wastewater pumping, activated sludge extended aeration, final clarification, disinfections, and sludge holding. This process removes approximately 95% of the pollutants from the wastewater.

At the treatment plant pretreatment by screening, grit removal and comminution prepares the wastewater by reducing the size of large solids that could cause damage to the later processes or equipment. After pretreatment, the wastewater is pumped to the treatment units. In secondary treatment, the wastewater is aerated to biologically convert waste to settleable solids. In clarification, these solids are removed and returned to aeration as activated sludge. Periodically these solids are removed from the system and further treated through aerobic digestion to produce class B biosolids that are then used as a soil conditioner and fertilizer. There are also 6 sludge drying beds, which are planted with reeds which help to remove the water and stabilize the sludge. After clarification the water is disinfected and discharged to the river.

The average daily design flow is 0.5 MGD (million gallons per day) with a peak flow of 1.56 MGD. Annually approximately 138 million gallons of wastewater are collected and treated before being discharged to the Northeast Branch of the Susquehanna River. The average daily flow is approximately 378,000 gallons.

Two full time certified operators run the facility with part-time help as needed. In addition to running the treatment plant, the operators also run the in-house laboratory, inspect and maintain the pump stations and collection system, respond to Pennsylvania One Calls, and collect daily data for the National Weather Service.