The Waste Water Treatment Plant in Flushing. Photo by Madeline Campbell
FLUSHING — The Flushing Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting at the city’s Waste Water Treatment Plant on May 14, which signifies the completion of its $5.4 million upgrade project. submersible mixer
The ribbon cutting also signifies the city council’s determination to make proper investments in infrastructure, and city council’s commitment to the community’s future, health and wellbeing,” said Flushing Mayor Joseph Karlichek.
Flushing City Manager Shelly King said it signifies over four years of hard work, planning and learning.
She added the city faced some challenges at the WWTP along the way like COVID-related delays, prolonged supply chain issues, cost overages, change orders, and various staffing changes at the plant and in the contracted workforce.
“Despite all of the challenges and delays, we have made it to the end, and are very pleased with the result, said King.
A total of $5.4 million was spent in order to upgrade and renovate the WWTP, which included new blowers, sump pumps, a million-gallon sludge tank and new clarifiers.
The $5.4 million dollar upgrade that was just finished at the Wastewater Treatment Plant was funded with USDA Rural Development Funding, according to King.
“Each piece of the upgrade was like a puzzle,” said Karlichek. “Without each piece we would have an incomplete puzzle.”
Current WWTP superintendent Nick Stankevich said that another important piece of the puzzle was the upgrade to the WWTP’s anaerobic digestion system, or where microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen.
The leftover products are biogas, which can be used to generate heat and electricity, liquid digestate, and solid digestate. Digestate is the leftover material after the digestion process, and Stankevich says that it can be used as a nutrient-rich fertilizer, as an organically enriched compost, or simply as a soil improver.
It can also be a source of revenue or cost-saving, according to Stankevich. “Our million-gallon sludge storage was an important upgrade. We now have the tank space to store solid digestate.”
King and Karlicheck also have high praise for Stankevich, who became the new WWTP superintendent in 2023.
“He is a very educated superintendent who brings with him experience from several different communities, allowing him to share a different perspective to our efforts,” said King. “His expertise is highly valued, his love of what he does and high energy are contagious.”
Karlicheck adds Stankevich has demonstrated tremendous leadership, innovation and great ambition in leading the WWTP project to its completion.
King and Karlicheck also thanked former WWTP superintendent Doug Parkinson for his leadership at the Wastewater Treatment Plant during most of his 28 years of service with the City of Flushing.
“Mr. Parkinson was a hands-on leader and was a talented and gifted Mr. Fix-it,” said King.
However, King and Karlicheck said that there’s still millions of dollars’ worth of upgrades that still need to take place. King said that when Fiscal Year 2024/2025 begins on July 1, the city will begin preparing for the replacement of the WWTP’s ultraviolet disinfection system. The total cost of this project is anticipated to be around $1.9 million dollars, and the $959,752, that was secured for the city by Congressman Dan Kildee will allow the city to complete the project with the appropriations and Sewer Fund Balance. The city has also received guidance on the next steps for the WWTP ultraviolet disinfection system project from the Environmental Protection Agency and will begin engineering work at the beginning of FY 24/25 as well.
Additional future projects and estimates include:
Digester boiler and pump replacement: $1.1 million
A self-cleaning bar screen to remove “flushable” wipes: $2.6 million
Raw Sewage Pumps and Rail Systems: $1.3 million
Sequencing batch reactor rehabilitation: $2 million
In addition, the city’s sewer lift stations all need to be upgraded. King said the most recent quote the city received for improving the Birchwood Station on the northeast side of town was $1.7 million.
King said that the city was able to rebuild the pumps for about $50,000 each and that it should delay the necessary rebuild of that lift station about 10 years.
“In all we are looking at more than $10 million in necessary and imminent upgrades, so we will be looking for grants, loans and other ways to fund these projects,” said King.
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