Walden Teams Up with NYSDEC and EFC to Develop Asset Management Programs for New York’s Wastewater Infrastructure

Wastewater infrastructure needs in New York State are ever-increasing. It is difficult for local municipalities to keep pace with costs because of local tax cap restrictions and lagging rate changes. The importance of focusing on infrastructure improvements cannot be stressed enough for the economic growth and future of the State as a whole.

The NYS2100 Commission evaluated select municipal wastewater systems and identified deficiencies that have been, and will continue to be, exacerbated by extreme weather events. The Commission recommended that municipalities improve long-term maintenance and planning and that the State provide assistance with developing facility asset management programs in order to improve the long-term integrity and reliability of treatment systems. The Commission’s recommendations led the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) to conduct a pilot program in 2017 that helped ten local governments inventory wastewater assets, identify risks to their wastewater infrastructure, determine cost-effective solutions, and prioritize infrastructure investment planning.

What the Asset Management Program Is About

Based on the success of the pilot program, DEC and EFC are rolling out the Asset Management Program on a larger scale. Walden Environmental Engineering is proud to have been selected as one of the ten engineering firms that will work with DEC and EFC to develop Asset Management Programs for select municipal publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) throughout the State. There will be no out-of-pocket costs to the 30 participating municipalities. In early October 2022, NYSDEC announced that the municipalities listed below by region have signed on to participate in the program:

• Capital Region
  • • Albany County Water Purification District North Plant
    • Village of Athens Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)
    • Brick Row WWTP
    • Town of East Greenbush WWTP
    • City of Glens Falls WWTP
• Central New York
  • • City of Auburn Sewage Treatment Plant (STP)
    • Village of Marcellus STP
    • Village of Skaneateles WWTP
• Finger Lakes
  • • Village of Arcade STP
    • Village of Le Roy STP
    • Village of Lima WWTP
    • Lakeville WWTP
• Long Island
  • • Village of Hempstead Publicly Owned Sewer System
    • Port Jefferson STP
    • Kings Park STP
    • Selden STP
• Mid-Hudson
  • • Village of Rhinebeck WWTP
    • Town of Ulster WWTP
    • Ulster Whittier Sewer District STP
    • City of Newburgh WWTP
• Mohawk Valley
  • • Gloversville Johnstown Joint Wastewater Treatment Facility
    • City of Little Falls WWTP
• New York City
  • • Port Richmond Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF)
• North Country
  • • Keeseville WWTP
    • Village of Philadelphia WWTP
    • Village of Sacket’s Harbor WWTP
• Southern Tier
  • • Village of Bath WWTP
    • Village of Endicott Water Pollution Control Plant
• Western New York
  • • Erie County Lackawanna WRRF
    • Village of Sherman WWTP

Why We Need Asset Management Programs

Asset Management Programs are a tool designed to support infrastructure improvements, spending, and transparency in resource allocation, while ensuring that wastewater treatment plant operators have the information needed to effectively manage the infrastructure. When it comes to POTWs, public resources are used to cover the costs of ownership, and because of this, a level of accountability is expected. The NYSDEC Division of Water has developed the Asset Management Guide for Publicly Owned Treatment Works based on the pilot program in order to streamline this process. This guide will be used to implement the Asset Management Program as it moves forward.

Walden has an experienced team of professionals eager to provide asset management services for you today. To read about some of Walden’s past work involving asset management tasks, please visit our Business and Transaction Advisory Services page. For more information about Asset Management Programs or related tasks, please call Walden today at 516-588-6859.