The City of Auburn is one of five municipalities in New York getting $25 million as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for work on its wastewater treatment facility.
Speaking on FLX Morning, City Clerk Chuck Mason said the project will be transformative.
“[There’s] a lot of old infrastructure that’s being replaced down there,” Mason said. “And then there’s the construction of a dryer project which is going to help us with the handling and disposal of the sludge product that is produced as part of the wastewater treatment process.”
Currently, sludge needs to be hauled to a landfill, which is an expensive endeavor. The dryer will significantly cut down on the amount of sludge that needs to be taken away.
Mason also noted that upgrades will help reduce overflows of wastewater into the Owasco River. Once all work is complete and storm and sanitary sewers are separated, two of the overflow facilities will be able to be taken offline.
The last significant upgrade to the facility was in the 1990s.
Work on the facility began this summer and is expected to continue over the next few years.
