The North River Water Pollution Control Plant
New York, New York
The North River Water Pollution Control Plant in New York City processes raw sewage produced by the western half of Manhattan. At its peak, the treatment plant processes 340 million gallons daily. The facility consists of several process areas contained under one roof: the main building; the primary settling tanks; the aeration tanks; the secondary tanks; and the sludge facilities.
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Replacing 25,000 feet of piping helped
reduce water loss throughout the plant.
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In continuous operation since its opening in April 1991, the then 14-year-old plant was due for an overhaul. DMJM Harris undertook the upgrade project, performing a feasibility study and providing design and construction management services—without disrupting the plant’s operations.
During the upgrade, the DMJM Harris team replaced the boiler room’s existing hot water boilers with four low pressure steam boilers with low NOX burners; four new steam to hot water heat exchangers; and four new primary pumps with VFDs. The firm also replaced about 25,000 feet of piping using new welded piping systems for the primary and secondary loop.
These improvements dramatically enhanced North River’s infrastructure. The new equipment’s state-of-the-art combustion efficiency has greatly reduced fuel consumption; the estimated annual savings for natural gas consumption is 132,160 therms, fuel oil is 849,598 gallons and electricity is 1,166,320 kWh.
The plant’s new tri-fuel boilers also provide it with new flexibility. In addition to natural gas or fuel oil, the plant’s heating system can now run on the digester gas that it generates. The updates to the piping have also helped the plant become more efficient in its water use, reducing the loss of 30,000 gallons of water per day. Overall, through its efforts, DMJM Harris was able to advance the energy efficiency and environmental operations of a critical plant that is itself inherently sustainable and one of the keys to helping preserve the environment in New York City.
