Upgrades and engineering study at wastewater plant

The village of Freeville recently completed some upgrades and a study at its wastewater plant.

The plant, located on DPW Drive in the village, was experiencing some inflow and infiltration issues. Also called I&I, such issues occur when illegal connections and cracks increase sewer flow, leading to damage and high treatment costs for sewer systems.

“If there’s too much infiltration, it changes the chemistry in the lagoons,” said Miles McCarty, Freeville mayor. “You have to treat it with more chemicals.”

According to the village’s website, the plant was built in the late 1980s. One of the few open lagoon systems in the state, Freeville has a plant because the village sits on an aquifer, McCarty said.

Before the plant was built, McCarty explained, local health officials were concerned about the sewer system, and some wells were “in danger of being contaminated.”

Based on the village website’s description, the plant is “one of the Village’s greatest municipal assets, as our high water table and small lots make septic systems illegal or impractical in much of the village.”

Since the village created a sewer system, the water “has been a great resource” in the area, McCarty said.

McCarty noted that the process for the village’s plant is driven by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and its efforts to keep nearby lakes “good and clean.”

A few years ago, the DEC made Freeville officials aware of potential issues when the state department was conducting phosphate readings in Cayuga Lake, Seneca Lake and other lakes.

This led village officials, along with representatives from the William George Agency for Children’s Services (WGA), to hire an engineering firm to conduct a study of the plant. Freeville, which brought on GHD of Syracuse for the study, received a state grant worth $20,900 to cover the costs of the study.

Following the study, a few issues were uncovered. McCarty noted that about 15 households and WGA had sump pump issues, which caused interruptions to the flow of the sewer system.

“That changed a lot of the I&I activity,” McCarty said.

WGA also had a few manhole covers that leaked, which McCarty said can result in the loss of “a lot of water.” Issues with downspouts were also a concern, McCarty added.

“It’s been an ongoing process getting a grasp on what’s going on with all of it,” McCarty said.

McCarty mentioned that the study was submitted to the DEC and the state’s Environmental Facilities Corporation for review.

Freeville has replaced some mahogany boards, pumps and chlorinators at the plant, McCarty said. Details on the out-of-pocket costs for the village are unclear, but McCarty added that outside work was done to cut costs.

“It’s always going to be an ongoing improvement [and project]. Nothing is ever really finished,” McCarty said. “We have to make sure we’re on top of everything.”

Dryden Dispatch appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.

In brief:

Dryden Junior Fire Academy is this month

Dryden’s fire department, the Neptune Hose Company of Dryden, is holding a Junior Fire Academy this month.

The junior academy will be held at the following times:

• Aug. 17 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
• Aug. 18 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with lunch provided
• Aug. 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with lunch provided

Activities include fire hose handling, a mock search, improvising EMS situations, fire extinguishers, calling 911 and more.

The academy is for ages 5 to 15. To register for the event, go to drydenrec.recdesk.com.

For questions, contact Steve Foote at 607-423-2220 or stevefooteEMS1271@outlook.com.

Town, village of Dryden board meetings this month

The Dryden Town Board is scheduled to meet this Thursday and Aug. 17. Both meetings will be held at 6 p.m. at the town hall at 93 E. Main St. The public is invited to attend, either in person or via Zoom.

The village of Dryden Board of Trustees is slated to meet on Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. on the second floor of village hall at 16 South St. The public is also invited to attend this meeting.

‘Groovin’ in the Park’ on Aug. 26

Groovin’ in the Park will be held on Aug. 26 at Montgomery Park in the village of Dryden.

The event will celebrate 50 years of Dryden history with a summer party at the park. It will include snapshots of Dryden in the 1970s from the Dryden Town Historical Society.

The schedule for Groovin’ in the Park includes:

• 1 p.m.: Miss Angie’s music for foot-stomping fun
• 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. (two time slots): Hula hoop contests
• 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.: Hot dog stand with Kiwanis
• 2 p.m.: Stories with Pete the Cat and Bluey
• 3 p.m.: City Limits & sounds of the 1970s

Food will be available between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. from Village Taqueria, Station Creamery, Hopshire Brewery and more.

Other activities at the event include crafts, face painting, Frisbee coloring, family games, a playground scavenger hunt and more.

Editor’s Note: A correction was made on Aug. 10 to change “phosphorous readings” to “phosphate readings.”