Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 9 October '85 5

MUA to Test Chemical Way To Cut Solids

SWAINTON - The Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority has appropriated nearly $40,000 to test the feasibility of using a chemical method to reduce the amount of dissolved solids released through the outfall line in the effluent from its Ocean City Region wastewater treatment plant. "Although the plant is well within its design hydraulic capacity, higher concentrations of BOD (biological oxygen demand) in the incoming sewage have caused the authority to exceed its discharge limits for BOD and suspended solids during July and August." said MUA Chief Engineer Charles Norkis. AN INCREASE in the BOD concentrations indicates an organic overload at the 3-year-old Ocean City plant, which is significantly different from a hydraulic overload, which relates to the flow capacity. The Department of Environmental Protection last week delayed a Coastal Area Facilities Review Act permit for construction of senior citizen housing at Wesley Manor in Ocean City until the applicant could show there is adequate capacity at the CMCMUA 45th Street and West Avenue facility Norkis pointed out that not only are the flow rates at the plant well below its averge design capacity, but they have actually gone down slightly in the past year. "OUR HIGHEST monthly average daily flow was recorded in July. 1984. when we averaged 5.88 mgd (million gallons a day), which is below our capacity of an average daily flow rate of 6.3 mgd." Norkis said. "We stayed well below that mark each month this summer. " According to Norkis. authority officials speculate that the reason the per capita flow rates are lower than anticipated in spite of a rising population is that the increased cost of water and sewage are encouraging people in Circular in today's newspaper Wbttom Salod Dressing on poge 4 Tht manufacturer is unable to ship al three (favors of dressing Rain checks will not be issued. We ore sorry far onv inconvenience this may have caused our customers P.S. Grtano Hock Denim jeans on poge I The manufacturer ts unable to supo ly Gitono black denim jeons for me sale. Grtano blue denim jeans ore available Roinchecks wvH not be issued. We are sorry far any inconvenience this may have coused our customers.

Ocean City to conserve. This conservation, however, is probably a contributing factor to the increase in concentration of solids and BOD at the plant. Norkis said, since there is less water for the same amount or more of solids coming into the system. DEVICES CALLED rotating biological contractors. or RBCs, remove the dissolved solids and BOD at the plant. Norkis said, but it would cost most than $2 million to construct a new set of these to handle the higher concentration and the work couldn't be completed in time for the 1986 summer season. "The increase, however, is a relatively small one and still within the parameters of secondary treatment," Norkis said. "But it still indicates that we're not achieving our design level efficiency during peak periods in the summer." THE PLANT removal efficiencies for BOD and suspended solids for July and August in 1984 and 1985 averaged 76 percent, Norkis said, whereas the plant discharge permit requires 85 percent removal efficiencies. The increase in BOD concentrations have not affected the plant's ability to disinfect the effluent adequately prior to discharge. It was noted that the fecal coliform counts (indicator to measure possible pathogen contamination) in the effluent as measured by the county Health Department has been extremely low for all sampling undertaken this summer. "THE ENGINEERING firm undertaking the study feels that it can solve this problem chemically," Norkis said. "It will cost only $50,000 for the equipment rather than the estimated $2 million for more RBCs. " He said that if the chemical addition process were needed all year long, it could be very expensive over the long haul. Since it is needed only during peak periods in the summer, however, it could produce significant savings at the Ocean City plant. "If this proves feasible." he concluded, "we'll still monitor the situation closely to determine if additional RBCs will be needed in future years." Head Injury Meet Set ATLANTIC CITY - The Cape/Atlantic Head Injury Support Group will meet 7 p.m. Tuesday. Oct. 15. at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church. Pacific and Michigan Avenues here Speaker will be BonnieLou Binnig. R.N., regional supervisor. New Medico Head Injury System

Blood Stop In Woodbine WOODBINE - A blood collection visit will be made by the bloodmobile of the Cape May County Unit, American Red Cross, 2-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18. at the Woodbine Elementary School. Webster Avenue. Children with leukemia, older women who suffer hip fractures, people with heart disease, and cancer patients are among those who need blood, points out the Red Cross for blood to be available when needed, it must be donated in advance, officials add.

Special Thanks To Everyone ^ On the Mainland For All Their Hospitality And C Generosity During Gloria ! *if SULLIVAN'S JP DEPT. STORE .--.My 2170 DUNK DR. AVALON • %7-:il89 -7 OPEN DAILY 7 A.M. - 5 P.M. INCL SUN.

Your Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority Wants You To Know . . .

Resource Recovery: Planning for the Future As most people know by now. using landfills for long-term disposal of our solid waste is a solution with a limited future. I.andfilling our refuse wastes energy and raw materials and consumes land more valuable for other purposes. It also represents a longterm environmental and financial obligation for future generations. The Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority, designated by the Board of Chosen Freeholders as the implementing agency for carrying out the county's Solid Waste Management Plan, has agreed from the beginning with the plan's finding that a new. environmentally secure sanitary landfill was urgently needed to end our dependence on the six existing, unlincd conventional landfills operating in our county before 1984. This new interim sanitary landfill would also provide our county with the time needed to carefully evaluate, select and implement a long-range solution to our solid waste disposal problem. a solution based on recycling and resource recovery. Resource recovery is a process of converting solid waste into a fuel, or energy product, such as steam or electric power This process will substantially reduce the volume of solid waste that must be iandfilled. while producing valuable energy and raw materials. With the completion and startup of the CMCMUA Secure Sanitary Landfill and its companion fransler Station, the Authority has now turned its attention to completing our investigation ol the best means of building and siting a resource recovery facility for Cape May County This feasibility study, conducted over the last IK months by Sanders & Thomas. Inc and Roy F Weston. Inc.. two nationally recognized engineering and environmental consultants specializing in resource recovery systems, is now complete and ready for public distribution and discussion. This advertisement and two Regional Roundtable Meetings scheduled for October 15 are intended to help county residents learn more about this important element of our county's Solid Waste Management Plan A Workable Solution We believe that the findings and recommendations of this study provide a realistic and cost-effective basis for implementing a long-term resource recovery system for Cape May County by 1990 We also believe that this study and plan will serve as an important "bench mark" in measuring the value of other multi-county solutions or alternatives to this problem The following arc some of the key findings and conclusions: • Converting Cape May County's solid waste to energy in the form of electric power and steam by incineration represents the most reliable and costeffective means of meeting the county's long-term solid waste disposal needs. solid disposal needs. y ((mc

stream by 5 to 15 percent. Vigorously pursued and supported by adequate markets, such programs can also help reduce the overall size and cost for development of a resource recovery system • Because the county's solid waste stream contains many non-combustihic materials and because the residue from any resource recovery process must still be disposed of. approximately 40 percent of the county's total solid waste will continue to require landfill disposal. • A single, countywide resource recovery plant is substantially less expensive to build and operate than building two smaller plants. Capital cost savings would be approximately $8.6 million and operating cost savings would be approximately SI . 25 million annually. • Building a single resource recovery plant adjacent to the countywide sanitary landfill site would provide access to the county's largest existing steam user, provide for safe and efficient residue disposal and minimize local community impacts associated with the proper, long-term disposal of solid waste in our county. • Four to five years may be required to complete the necessary environmental studies and engineering designs, to obtain energy market agreements and arrange necessary project financing, and to construct the resource recovery plant itself I o complete such a process by 1989-90. key public decisions will need to be made within the next three to six months Your Involvement Is Needed For this plan to be successfully implemented, it must first be understood, evaluated and supportediby local public officials, business and environmental groups and residents Irom throughout Cape May C ounty To help meet this important need, two "Regional Roundtahles" on Resource Recovery will be held on October 15 at f Bp m at the Woodbine Municipal Building Franklin and Monroe Avenues. Woodbine and 7:30 p m at I he Wetlands Institute Stone Harbor Blvd Middle lownship I he Authority urge\ all interested persons to attend one ol these informal meetings and give us the benefit of your questions, comments and recommendations on this important next step in completing our county's solid waste management system Would You Like to Learn More? If we can be of any additional assistance to you in answering any specific questions you may have about solid waste management or resource recovery development for Cape May County , or if your community or organization wishes to have a presentation on this project, please contact Mr Theodore F O'Neill. Solid Waste Manager fortheCMCMUA.at

• The dev elopment of a resource recovery system for Cape May County by 1990. or sooner. can divert about 50 percent by weight, or / more than 60 percent by volume, of the r / / county's solid waste away from land- /• £ pg J7/\ -A / J /)/} jf\i /n(s\ J filling. This diverted waste flow will T J £-\ significantly extend the remaining life IS VJ ilS_r tz| ^ v/J of the countywide sanitary landfill Is ir |^\ .Sir! William F X. Band •Countywide source separation • £?/ Chairman and recycling programs can further Ayr Cape May County i reduce Cape May County's total solid waste Municipal Utilities Authority We're Working to Keep Your Environment Clean