ALCOSAN is in the midst of a massive facelift. It’s the 20-year, $2 billion Clean Water Plan. The plan addresses the sewer overflow problem in our service area in a tremendous way. It will reduce overflow by 7 billion gallons a year. Those improvements will protect the investments of you, the ratepayer, and help us increase our efficiency. Access to safe water and sanitation is among the most basic human needs for our health and well-being.

In this edition, you will learn more about the expansion projects at our wastewater treatment plant that will ultimately allow us to treat 600 million gallons of wastewater a day. These projects also create jobs for the region, more than 10,000 direct jobs for local contractors and suppliers, and that number is sure to climb.

Continue to engage with us as we eagerly continue our progress to improve our sewer infrastructure.

Sign up for our 3 Rivers Proud newsletter or other news alerts we offer, follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube), attend a community meeting, or engage with ALCOSAN at a community event. We love to share our story!

In January 2023, we began projects in support of the plant expansion, including the Environmental Compliance Facility (ECF). It will be constructed adjacent to the recently completed parking garage, just south of the Operations and Maintenance Building.  

The ECF will be a three-story building. The first floor will have a new laboratory, and the second and third floors will have new office space. A patio/rooftop garden will also be located on the second floor. Following the construction of the ECF building, we will begin migrating our laboratory from its existing location into the first floor of the new building.

The ECF construction is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2024.

Explore further details regarding ALCOSAN's comprehensive Plant Expansion initiative.

One student provided positive feedback, "It was an impressive tour which reinforced the need for project managers who can effectively work with multiple industries, agencies, and companies to solve problems as they arise in the field."

The university's civil engineering program is going through the process of becoming ABET (formerly the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) accredited.

The more than 100-year-old M-29’s combined sewer outfall was rehabilitated and the endwall on the Monongahela River was replaced. Because of those enhancements, the life of the outfall was extended, river flow entering the ALCOSAN system was reduced, and backups into the lower Four Mile Run neighborhoods will be less severe.The more than 100-year-old M-29’s combined sewer outfall was rehabilitated and the endwall on the Monongahela River was replaced. Because of those enhancements, the life of the outfall was extended, river flow entering the ALCOSAN system was reduced, and backups into the lower Four Mile Run neighborhoods will be less severe.

Nate Carll, Manager of Interceptor Systems, Jeff Argyros, Manager of Capital Projects - Treatment, Engineering, and Shawn McWilliams, Project Engineer II in Regional Conveyance were among the exemplary speakers at the 2023 Spring Educational Conference.

Julia Spicher, Manager of Regionalization and Tim Prevost, Manager of Wet Weather Programs, also made stellar presentations at the luncheon hosted by ALCOSAN.

ALCOSAN Laboratory Department employees Larissa Hoover, Sean Nixon, Holly Mason, and Joe Preston were among the judges. They were excited to participate in the event and share their love and knowledge of water with the brilliant young students.

The STEM enthusiasts in grades 6–12 designed and implemented an original experiment during the Pittsburgh Regional Science & Engineering Fair (PRSEF) while competing for cash prizes and scholarships.

The top three students chosen will be able to compete with other awardees across Pennsylvania to become the state winner, who receives a paid trip to the national competition.

• The usage charge increased from $9.73 to $10.41 for each 1,000 gallons of water used.
• The quarterly service charge increased from $20.45 to $21.88.
• The average customer, who uses 12,000 gallons of water per quarter, will pay $9.59 more for a three-month service period, increasing their quarterly charge from $137.21 to $146.80.

W.A.V.E. Hands-on-Saturday Engineering Workshop

The Scholastic Outreach & Education Department’s annual W.A.V.E. (Workforce and Vocational Exploration) Hands-on-Saturday Engineering Workshop was tremendously successful. Fifteen students in grades 6-12 from various districts across our service area participated in many activities at ALCOSAN on Saturday, March 4, 2023, including a workshop “All About Coding.” The workshop introduced the students to the engineering design process. The students also designed and built a watercraft with various building materials powered by a Sphero Bolt Robot.

Pre-K Explore Day

It was fun, games and learning for the children who took part in Pre-K Explore Day on Saturday February 25, 2023.

The children, ages three to six, were taught via Zoom the science of ALCOSAN’s wastewater treatment process through interactive and engaging science experiments.

According to the Pennsylvania Economy League of Greater Pittsburgh, it is estimated the Clean Water Plan will create over 14,000 direct jobs. These jobs touch all education and skill levels - from engineers to construction laborers – and are jobs here at ALCOSAN as well as with the consultants and contractors who are involved with our Clean Water Plan projects.

Unfortunately, we have another force at work (pun intended) – the expected retirement wave of skilled laborers such as plumbers, pipe fitters, welders, and electricians. Current estimates show over half of the workforce in these careers is above the age of 45, which means in the next 10-15 years, there could be a shortage of qualified people to fill these important jobs – many of these important to ALCOSAN as the Clean Water Plan work progresses.

My point in bringing this to you today? I hope you know a young person who is now starting to examine career paths. And I hope you’ll have a conversation with that young person about all the opportunities that exist – many of which don’t require a college degree. Our region is ripe with training programs and excellent universities that can open many doors for the next generation. ALCOSAN even offers job shadowing and internships for those interested in a variety of career paths. Learn more here.

It is up to us – the current workforce – to educate the next generation on where these future opportunities are and how they are attainable. Knowing our country will have the necessary engineers, plumbers, and electricians is an important task we should all embrace.

Ten of ALCOSAN’s partner municipalities and municipal authorities have been offered over $7M in grants in the program’s seventh round. Created by ALCOSAN in 2016, the GROW program helps the Authority’s customer municipalities and municipal authorities fund meaningful source control projects that help keep water out of the sewer system.

This year’s group of awards includes a $3.7M grant to Crafton Borough for a sewer separation project along Broadhead Avenue and $1.7M to the Borough of Homestead for implementation of green stormwater infrastructure on 12th Avenue. Alongside these two major projects were three other significant awards, including a sewer rerouting project in the Borough of Bridgeville and sewer rehabilitations by the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority and the Borough of Whitehall.

Including this cycle, ALCOSAN’s GROW program has offered grants in excess of $67M for approximately 150 projects, leveraging approximately $59M in municipal, authority and third-party funding. In all, those projects are expected to reduce the volume of overflows into the region’s waterways by more than 215 million gallons per year.

Any municipality or municipal sewer authority within the ALCOSAN service area is eligible for GROW grants. The eighth cycle will begin later this year, and ALCOSAN is already scheduling informational meetings to assist municipalities in the application process.

Visit our website to learn more about the GROW program and see a list of this year’s awardees.

This is the highest honor the organization bestows. Also recognized was Kimberly Kennedy, ALCOSAN’s Director of Engineering and Construction, as the Civil Engineer of the Year. You can watch a video of this special event here.

Recently, Arletta was named the Industry Leader of the Year at the March of Dimes Transportation, Building & Construction Awards luncheon. The yearly event benefits the March of Dimes mission of improving babies’ health by preventing birth defects, infant mortality and premature birth. Through honoring those who have built the community, they build a healthier one for our babies.

See the progress in our latest construction timelapse videos:

• East Headworks Facility
• North-End Plant Expansion

First Science and Environmental Education Advisory Collaborative Workshop Held

During Open House in September, the Scholastic Outreach and Education Department held the first 2022-2023 workshop for the Science and Environmental Education Advisory Collaborative (S.E.E.A.C.) series.

The second workshop of the series, “Healthy Habitats,” is scheduled for Saturday, November 19, 2022. Teachers attending the workshops receive free ACT 48 hours at the end of the series. Register now for the 2022-2023 workshops.

Interactive Workshops Planned for October

As the leaves on the trees begin to fall and school bells start to ring, Scholastic Outreach has geared up for the 2022-2023 school year. We are looking forward to our current partnerships and are forging new ones with several school districts. Coming up soon are our two virtual interactive workshops for elementary students, Frankie’s Science Days on October 15, and Pre-K Explore Days on October 22. Register Now!

It’s noisy sometimes. Enough that you can’t have a phone conversation.

It’s dusty. It vibrates the building occasionally.

But I love the view. Why?

It's infrastructure being built right in front of my eyes. You see, I have a front row seat for the construction of our new East Headworks facility. Over the last few months, I’ve noticed the hole getting deeper and deeper, as my ability to see the earthmoving equipment becomes less and less.

It is a beautiful sight.

In this issue, you’ll read all about the Clean Water Plan construction occurring within our plant “walls,” as we create the ability to treat more wastewater during wet weather events, keeping it out of our rivers and streams.

We are also working diligently to complete the Act 537 Plan Special Study on our proposed regional tunnel system, a key regulatory component for the construction of this important infrastructure. If you’d like to know more, please tune in to our Act 537 Plan Special Study public meeting, scheduled for March 30 at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. You can find more information on our website.

As the near tragedy of the Fern Hollow Bridge unfolded, I’m reminded again how important infrastructure projects are to this region. From bridges to dams to, yes, water and sewer pipes, we are largely utilizing equipment that is decades old, sometimes more. Obviously, if our infrastructure cannot be counted upon, our ability to grow as a region will be severely limited.

ALCOSAN is extremely proud to be doing its part to update our sewer infrastructure for the region, knowing the health of our rivers is critical to everyone.

I hope you will continue to follow our journey. While I can’t share my view with you, we’ll have plenty of pictures on our website soon!


Arletta Scott Williams

The recorded meetings are available through ALCOSAN’s YouTube channel. The Study documents may be found on ALCOSAN’s website, www.alcosan.org or through the links below:

• Regional Conveyance Facilities: Act 537 Plan Special Study
• Regional Conveyance Facilities: Act 537 Plan Special Study Companion

These public meetings are part of a larger series which ALCOSAN has held to build community awareness, collect input and respond to questions. They help support our mission to improve the water quality in our area as we strive to significantly reduce overflows of untreated wastewater into the region’s rivers.

ALCOSAN’s wastewater treatment plant transformation has made significant progress since digging began in the fall of 2020. This work is critical to help meet our consent decree requirement of increasing our secondary treatment capacity from 250 million gallons per day (MGD) to 295 MGD by 2025.

Work at the north end of the plant includes several additions: two circular final clarifiers, a chlorine contact tank, a chemical storage building, and an outfall that will discharge the daily plant-treated flows into the Ohio River.

As part of completing the new river wall, ALCOSAN overcame the big challenge of being landlocked at its north end. There was minimal space for expansion between the railroad to the east and the Ohio River to the west. The railroad required support of their property and tracks, so ALCOSAN installed a temporary wall during construction, as shown below. 

A tremendous amount of work went into building out the river wall. The wall’s tieback installation will be finished later in the construction phase. Overall, this is a vital part of ALCOSAN’s plant expansion in that the tieback will hold the river wall in place once the site is returned to final grade in a few years. The plant’s north-end facilities will include a new outfall, disinfection facility and secondary clarifiers. Below, see before and after photos of big changes that have occurred in only a short time!

ALCOSAN uses a biological process as part of its wastewater treatment. Return activated sludge (RAS) is a mix of microorganisms, or helpful bugs, bacteria and fungi that settle to the bottom of our 16 final clarifiers. This sludge is pumped back to our eight aeration tanks where the bugs eat solid waste as part of the secondary treatment biological process. The Clean Water Plan will bring about an increase in the sludge and microorganisms needed to keep up with this rise in solid waste, and the piping and other infrastructure is being adjusted accordingly. Below, see how we are staging return activated sludge pipes for installation under the plant to prepare for the anticipated upsurge in solid waste introduced into the aeration tanks.

Construction of the new East Headworks facility, shown underway below, will house six grit tanks, six bar screens and a grit truck unloading station.

A 400-space parking garage near the plant entrance, shown in its early stages, below, is slated for completion later in 2022. Nearby, an Environmental Compliance facility will house a new laboratory and office space.

ALCOSAN has increased its Clean Water Assistance Fund award amount to $40 per quarter, the largest increase since the Fund’s inception in 2016.

“We know there are ALCOSAN homeowners who can use some assistance paying the sewage portion of their bills, and I’m grateful we can continue to offer that help,” said Arletta Scott Williams, ALCOSAN’s Executive Director. “I ask everyone to reach out to a neighbor or family member who could benefit from the Clean Water Assistance Fund and help them sign up.”

The Fund’s credit is applied to a customer’s account by the agency that bills for sewage treatment, usually a municipality or water agency. For more information, contact Dollar Energy Fund, 1-888-282-6816.

Purple Shirt/Shirt Off Your Back Fundraiser

Over the past seven years, the ALCOSAN family has raised over $91,000 for various local charities through its Purple Shirt/Shirt Off Your Back fundraiser. This year, we partnered with Living in Liberty, a nonprofit that serves survivors of human trafficking in western Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh currently ranks in the top 10 cities for human trafficking, and ALCOSAN helped raise awareness about this serious issue, while accumulating $18,114 to support the creation of the charity’s new safe home facility for survivors.

Turkey Bowl

The annual ALCOSAN Turkey Bowl hit a new fundraising record in 2021 with employees enjoying a hole-in-one tournament and supporting raffle sales. PNC Bank matched ALCOSAN’s collection of $5,300 for a total of $10,600 donated to the KDKA-TV Turkey Fund, helping the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Salvation Army Angel Tree Program

Holiday wishes of nearly 200 children in need were filled by employees who supported Salvation Army’s annual Angel Tree program.

Pre-K Explore Day Presented Winter Wonderland

ALCOSAN’s Outreach and Education department hosted a virtual Winter Wonderland Pre-K Explore Day in December with 67 students in attendance.

The day began with ALCOSAN's mascot Frankie the Fish reading Snowmen at Night, which led to each student creating a snowstorm in a jar. The kids were mesmerized by the science of mixing baby oil and glitter. Other hands-on activities allowed students to create their own winter wonderland, including a salt and glue snowperson, edible snowflakes and non-edible snow dough.

Spooky Science at Frankie Science Days

Last fall, 21 second and third-grade students virtually joined ALCOSAN’s Scholastic Outreach team and Southwestern Pennsylvania Engineering Outreach volunteers for the year’s final Frankie Science Days workshop. 

Spooky Science was the theme that had students exploring science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through a series of Halloween-related activities. The students tried to make candy corn and pumpkin PEEPS^® disappear via solubility, testing their results using vegetable oil, soda and different water temperatures. They also tested predictions by performing a density experiment using various ingredients to get an egg to float in water.

Teacher Workshop: Wild Ways of Water

ALCOSAN’s Scholastic Outreach and Education department regularly holds teacher professional development workshops with the Science and Environmental Education Advisory Collaborative (S.E.E.A.C.). This past fall, five teachers and service providers attended the Wild Ways of Water workshop to explore ways to bring science into the classroom. This session supplied opportunities to explore water as a vital resource, and to understand its uneven distribution over the globe. After a virtual field trip, teachers were surprised to learn about the polluted state of some of our world’s rivers.

Do you know any local teachers? Be sure to tell them about ALCOSAN's ongoing professional development series and the chance to receive free ACT 48 training hours. Learn more at ALCOSAN Professional Development.

Disability Mentoring Day

Students from Pittsburgh Public School District’s Conroy Education Center and Shaler Area High School joined ALCOSAN for Disability Mentoring Day. In partnership with disability employment experts, Bender Consulting, the Authority provides students with career exploration guidance and mentoring opportunities.

Scholastic Outreach representatives led the group of 30⁺ students, introducing them to ALCOSAN through a virtual wastewater plant tour. They teamed to conduct STEM activities to highlight skills used in wastewater treatment. The lessons shared provided an understanding of occupations found within ALCOSAN.

Be sure to visit the scholastic portion of our website for more teacher and parent educational resources.

At this year’s Open House, we had the chance to build community ties in our traditional sense and also provide a virtual option. We switched to holding a hybrid event—both in person and online. Not only were we able to welcome more than 500 people to our Northside plant this year, but we also connected with nearly as many guests virtually.

I find adopting such a new twist to be inspiring. It goes hand-in-hand with the exciting changes going on at our plant in terms of infrastructure improvements and Clean Water Plan construction. Please take a moment to read the related updates in this issue. There certainly is a lot going on!

Also, we have great news about partnering with municipalities for the latest round of our Green Revitalization of our Waterways grants, and so much more. 

Arletta Scott Williams

Executive Director Arletta Scott Williams enthusiastically kicked off the event and welcomed visitors and more than 200 volunteers: “We’ve got a lot to share!” The day was filled with fun exhibits; free food; educational activities for students of all ages; plant and laboratory tours; and honoring clean water proponents and partners.

Thanks to all who joined us. Don’t forget, you can still catch some of the Open House excitement by visiting us virtually.

This GROW cycle is a great example of how important it is to work together toward a common goal – keeping excess water out of our sewer systems,” said Arletta Scott Williams, ALCOSAN’s Executive Director. “We are always thrilled to be able to help fund these necessary source control projects in our customer municipalities.” Learn more about the details of this cycle’s GROW projects.

Below is an update on two of the largest packages that recently broke ground – North End Plant Expansion and East Headworks.

North End Plant Expansion

ALCOSAN has 16 final clarifiers that are 140 feet in diameter and provide secondary treatment to our plant flows. Our expansion plan calls for two additional clarifiers that will increase secondary treatment capacity to 295 million gallons per day (MGD). Also, a new final disinfection tank will disinfect plant flows prior to discharging to the Ohio River.

These new tanks require land, which is in short supply within ALCOSAN’s footprint. A river wall of approximately 1,000 feet in length is being built. It will consist of 108 interlocked king and sheet piles to create a watertight barrier against the neighboring Ohio River. The wall’s design required close permitting coordination with agencies like Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This early portion of the North End Plant Expansion (NEPE) is progressing, and the full package is expected to conclude by fall 2025.

East Headworks

The East Headworks (EHW) package entered construction this summer with the purpose of increasing our preliminary treatment capacity to maximum flows of 600 MGD. This package is in the heart of our plant and has many more site logistic impacts than the NEPE package. Those who visited ALCOSAN Open House events in years past would have stood where construction is underway today. Demolition has begun and excavated material will be hauled off-site to appropriate landfills. A hole about 20 feet deep soon will become the foundation of the EHW. Our contractor has begun hammering piles for the shoring required to support this deep excavation.

This rendering shows ALCOSAN’s East Headworks as it is to look by the end of 2024. Construction began in summer 2021.

What’s Next?

As Clean Water Plan construction moves forward, here is a glance of what to expect soon:

• The North End Plant Expansion’s river wall will be completed by end of 2021.
• The East Headworks excavation will make major progress before construction of its foundation and buildout of its future basement.
• The Main Pump Station Flow Meter and Access Platform project, noted in our prior issue, will conclude in fall 2021.
• The Parking Garage, located at the entrance to the ALCOSAN plant, will begin to be erected by the end of 2021.
• The Electrical Distribution System Upgrades project will break ground in fall 2021.
• The Return Activated Sludge (RAS) Pipe and RAS Pump Replacement project will make significant progress this winter, with anticipated completion by fall 2022.
• Stay tuned for more updates as we take major steps toward keeping our rivers and streams clean. You can learn more about our plant expansion.

Learn here what we do with the dirty, solid material pulled out of the wastewater that we treat before it is returned as clean water to the Ohio River! We collect from dirty water any heavy sludge and floating grease. That gunky material is pumped to our dewatering facility on another side of our campus, where we remove liquid from the collected sludge. Then we blend it with a liquid polymer solution to thicken it.

Next comes dewatering. Picture seven motorized centrifuges, like washing machines, only huge and with high-powered spin cycles. The spinning draws out more liquid to make what is called dewatered cake.

Annually we produce approximately 110,000 wet tons of this dewatered product. But what do we do with it all after it’s been dried? Glad you asked!

Some primary disposal methods for this dewatered cake include lime stabilization and incineration. These methods align with our environmental stewardship commitment.

About 40 percent of our dewatered cake product is mixed with crushed lime to make a lime-stabilized biosolid. Adding the versatile lime mineral helps destroy disease-causing organisms and increases the pH level. This biosolid is called ALCOSOIL. It resembles crumbly wet dirt and looks like soil hummus in its formation and composition. The product contains naturally occurring minerals and elements.

Once prepared, we load the ALCOSOIL onto trucks and ship it to permitted pastures and farms, primarily in Ohio. This is done to help reclaim damaged land or it is used as a fertilizer for feed crops. Any remaining product portion is properly landfilled.

Our on-site lab performs the many daily tests required for wastewater treatment processes, and to certify the water returned to the Ohio River is clean. This includes monitoring the effectiveness of our plant's industrial pre-treatment program and the quality of our ALCOSOIL product.

Recovering Energy

Disposal of the remainder of our dewatered cake product involves energy recovery. More than 60 percent of the dewatered product is incinerated in ALCOSAN's two fluidized-bed incinerators.

Super-heated air is added to a five-foot bed of fluidized sand burning at 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit. The dewatered product is mixed into the sand where it is instantly incinerated. The hot off-gas from the incineration process is carried out and reused to heat boiler water. This, in turn, creates steam to heat most of our plant, offsetting one of our largest utility costs.

But Doesn’t It Stink?

Treating wastewater is a naturally stinky, dirty job. Just think about all that is being flushed and what drains into our sewer system.

But ALCOSAN does have a robust odor management process in place. Foul air is captured from the dirty water tanks and our dewatered cake process buildings. Then it is sent to one of our three packed-tower scrubbers.

That air runs through a chemical scrub before being released into the atmosphere. These scrubbers use sodium hypochlorite and caustic soda to neutralize odors at the plant’s headworks, primary sedimentation and dewatering areas. Additionally, we cover our primary tanks to help capture odors.

And there you have it, the flip side of how dirty water travels, from your home and the region’s neighborhoods to ALCOSAN’s wastewater treatment plant.

SEEAC workshops help educators incorporate lessons that investigate methods to safeguard the environment; explore where water is; learn how to get and keep water clean; design and test robots; and explore the wealth of our region’s wildlife.

Participants may earn free ACT 48 hours at upcoming ALCOSAN SEEAC workshops, so share this news with your favorite educator!

Also visit the scholastic portion of our website for more teacher and parent educational resources.

Many of you, however, might not always think about the sewage infrastructure that is just as important to the health and welfare of Allegheny County. We know that because ALCOSAN’s existing conveyance infrastructure can sometimes become overwhelmed, our waterways are suffering from polluting overflows.

Relief for our important rivers and streams is on the way as part of ALCOSAN’s Clean Water Plan.

Later this year, you will begin hearing about the infrastructure improvement and expansion projects ALCOSAN has planned. This includes nearly 5.2 miles of new tunnels, largely following our three rivers, dug deep into the bedrock. It also includes shallower components that will help move stormwater into these tunnels.

In this edition, you can read about more infrastructure projects at ALCOSAN - the expansion of our wastewater treatment plant that ultimately will give us the ability to treat 600 million gallons of wastewater a day.

I hope you will become engaged with us, if you aren’t already, as we eagerly continue our progress to improve our sewer infrastructure. Sign up for this newsletter or other news alerts we offer; attend a community meeting; or engage with us at a community event. We love to share our story!

Speaking of engaging with ALCOSAN, please plan to join us at our annual, free Open House, set for Saturday, Sept. 18. While the pandemic and our plant construction are changing a few things this year, we promise to engage and entertain you – as we have for many years!

In March, our regulators – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) and the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) – approved the Authority’s Preliminary Basis of Design Report (PBOD) associated with the Regional Conveyance Facilities. The PBOD defines the proposed work for the new regional tunnel system and related near-surface facilities that ALCOSAN will be constructing in the coming years.

Currently, ALCOSAN is continuing work to further refine the path of our new system, as well as to identify land parcels that might be necessary during construction. The Authority will also begin public outreach later this year with the communities and organizations that will be directly affected during construction.

On the construction front, two major wastewater plant expansion projects are scheduled to break ground this summer.  While work continues on the plant’s north end expansion, a parking garage and the East Headworks facility will be the latest additions to our footprint on the North Side.

ALCOSAN is permitted to treat up to 250 million gallons a day (MGD) which isn’t sufficient when the sewer system is overwhelmed by rain or snow melt. At the completion of all expansion projects, ALCOSAN will be able to treat up to 600 MGD.

The parking garage – to be constructed within our campus on the current union parking lot – is first up with plans to begin construction this month and opening for use in 2022. Immediately on its heels will be construction of the Environmental Compliance facility right next door.

Construction on the second project – the East Headworks facility – will begin in July and will continue through late 2024. A headworks facility is where sewage receives preliminary treatment, consisting of screening and grit removal. Removing large and heavy materials helps to prevent damage to mechanical equipment in the primary and secondary treatment processes. To learn more about the East Headworks project, watch this video:

ALCOSAN Executive Director Arletta Scott Williams was honored in March by the Allegheny County Minority, Women, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Governmental Committee (MWDBE) and inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame.

The award recognizes strengthening of economic opportunities for minority, women and disadvantaged business enterprises, including creating awareness of bidding and business opportunities.

In early Spring, ALCOSAN’s Dan Lockard was honored by the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania for significant technical and professional accomplishments, which contribute to the engineering profession.

Dan recently retired his position as manager of capital projects. For nearly 24 years, Dan managed engineering projects and programs, supporting ALCOSAN’s wet weather plan, Consent Decree, construction expansions, and environmental and regulatory issues.

The program introduced basic science concepts through fun, interactive activities. The science of ALCOSAN was examined first as the explorers – geared with a hard hat, safety goggles and flashlight – hopped, hammered and paddled their way through a simulation of ALCOSAN’s interceptor system and wastewater treatment process. Each child received a plush toy of ALCOSAN’s mascot Frankie the Fish, a friend for them to share in the story “The Rainbow Fish,” a picture book by Marcus Pfister. The magic of rainbows was revealed in two hands-on experiments and rainbow fish windsocks were crafted. Fish-shaped crackers were used in a science, technology, engineering, art and math- (STEAM) based activity and the kids got some exercise dancing and singing to the “Fish Flip-Flop” song. 

The kids, their families and the Scholastic Outreach staff all enjoyed the program and look forward to future explorations.

Workforce and Vocational Exploration (W.A.V.E.) Wraps-Up Successful Year

ALCOSAN offers a program to middle and high school students that focuses on workforce and vocational exploration and increases awareness in wastewater careers, particularly in skilled trades and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. The students participate in career development activities, role-play real-life scenarios to practice effective job skills and have an opportunity for hands-on job shadowing.

Interactive workshops are also offered through the W.A.V.E. Hands-on Saturday program. Due to COVID-19, activities and workshops have been virtual. The 2020-2021 school year program concluded in May with a virtual workshop that explored digital robotics. After viewing videos of the ALCOSAN system, the students coded a program to guide a Sphero Rover through a system of pipes leading to ALCOSAN.

ALCOSAN offers various educational activities and opportunities through the Scholastic Outreach and Education Department. Please visit the Educational Activities section on our website for more information.

Last month, our employees took time to participate in the annual litter cleanup, improving the roadside near the ALCOSAN plant and Ohio River. The team retrieved 53 bags of trash, 44 tires, two televisions, chains, a deep freezer, car bench set, clothing, hubcaps, signs, a bucket and a bag of needles. All items were disposed of properly, and none of the trash ended up in our sewers and waterways!

In this issue, we will share an update on the construction activities to increase the capacity of our wastewater treatment plant, how we continue to fund meaningful source control projects in partner communities, and not forgetting to fulfill our mission that includes caring for our community. While our focus is realizing the goals of the Clean Water Plan, I’m proud to say that we also are rallying around our community in impressive ways.

The ALCOSAN family always has had a big heart, and this past pandemic-filled year was no exception. With a commitment to safety, many of our employees found ways to reach out, dig deep and be charitable to our neighbors during such a difficult year. You’ll see some of the outreach in the story below.

In addition to following the dirty water trail, take a look at some of our plant expansion construction photos. These show that we are diving right in to adjust our footprint and ready ourselves for the future.

Arletta Scott Williams
Executive Director

Below are some highlights of ongoing construction at the ALCOSAN wastewater treatment plant. Check out the photos showing the first visible signs of change.

• New flow meters were installed recently in the main pump station to help monitor the amount of wastewater entering the plant.
• The north-end plant expansion has begun with the demolition of our sodium hypochlorite building, making room for a new final disinfection tank to be built starting mid-2021.
• Construction of a new chemical building which will house the sodium hypochlorite and sodium bisulfite feed and storage systems. This will be built next to the new final disinfection tank.
• Work on a new river wall is slated to begin in early 2021. The wall will be secured with king piles that provide a bulk of the wall’s structure. These piles will be anchored by tiebacks that will be drilled and cemented into the rock bed for stabilization. The wall surface will be made of approximately 1,000 feet of steel sheeting, viewable from the river, and back-filled from the plant-side.
• Once the new river wall is constructed, aggregate stones, large rocks and boulders will be placed in a staggered fashion along the river bank below the wall to provide a foraging, security and resting habitat for macroinvertebrates and fish.
• We also are looking forward to the addition of two new final clarifiers at the north end in 2024.

Stay tuned for more updates! For the latest information and to learn more, visit our Clean Water Plan page.

Three projects – Pittsburgh’s Wightman Park green stormwater infrastructure and two sewer separation projects in the Borough of Crafton – took advantage of the new funding cap with a combined award of $7,712,559 for the three. For a complete list of the awardees, please visit our GROW Program page.

Earlier in 2020, ALCOSAN released Controlling the Source, a scientific-based, area-specific evaluation of all types of source control that provides municipalities information on where projects can be completed that both are cost-effective and provide the most overflow reduction. Eight concepts identified in Controlling the Source were awarded funding in this round (Avalon, Bellevue, Brentwood, Carnegie, Crafton, Wightman Park, Rankin and Wilkinsburg).

Created by ALCOSAN in 2016, the GROW program’s first four grant cycles offered grants worth $28 million for 101 projects, leveraging another $25 million in municipal, authority and third-party funding. In all, those projects are expected to reduce the volume of overflows into the region’s waterways by nearly 140 million gallons.

Any municipality or municipal sewer authority within the ALCOSAN service area is eligible for GROW grants. The sixth phase will begin later this year, and ALCOSAN already is scheduling informational meetings to assist municipalities in the application process.

Although somewhat cleaner, there still is a lot of work to be done to finish the dirty water treatment journey. It’s now time for the secondary treatment, which some here call dessert time for naturally occurring bugs.

Our expert inhouse operators determine precisely how to treat up to 250 million of gallons of dirty water each day. ALCOSAN’s eight aeration basins are filled with secondary wastewater that is mixed with diffused, compressed air. This is done to help maintain a healthy colony of microorganisms during this activated sludge process.

The water flows through the tanks for four hours, with the air bubbles causing the bugs to roll and mix within the activated sludge. The microorganisms gobble up nutrients and break down remaining organic matter into harmless by-products.

The secondary treatment process continues by moving the water through secondary clarifiers. Here, the microorganisms return to the aeration tank for some more munching, or they are pumped to the dewatering facility for disposal. This clarification process is distributed over 16 units and takes two and one-half hours to complete.

We now are more than half-way to our discharge destination. Next, the wastewater makes three passes through two disinfection chlorine contact tanks. Any remaining bacteria are eliminated with a potent disinfection solution of sodium hypochlorite, which is 10-to-15% chlorine bleach. Depending upon the flow rate, this important step can take up to 30 minutes to complete.

The last stage requires rigorous monitoring. Sodium bisulfite, used to dechlorinate the water to eliminate the formation of harmful biproducts, is added using coarse bubble diffusers.

The reclaimed water travels slowly through the tank channels. Some say that this phase reminds them of a lazy-river amusement park ride. Even the local ducks are known to stop in for a relaxing float now and again.

Since that first drop of dirty water entered the main pump station, the water has been traveling this journey between nine to 12 hours. The treatment process is complete and we’re ready for the big push. The force of gravity rushes the fully treated wastewater downward and out into the Ohio River at a rate of approximately 140,000 gallons per minute.

It’s here that you can really see that we take our environmental stewardship responsibility seriously. Every day, we treat wastewater and return it to the Ohio River cleaner than the water in the river.

Although we were able to treat and reclaim 99% of the water, the remaining solids need to be handled appropriately. In an average year that adds up to a whole lot of tons of waste. The next chapter in our clean water journey will touch on how we efficiently draw energy from that waste.

S.E.E.A.C. offers teachers unique opportunities to gain information about real-work environmental and engineering applications related to water. These Scholastic Outreach workshops also offer teachers the chance to earn ACT 48 continuing education hours at no cost.

To meet with the safety demands of the times, ALCOSAN shifted to a virtual format for its teacher workshop. Their first session in the 2020-2021 series focused on adapting and applying hands-on student activities that could fit into virtual, in-person and hybrid classroom settings.

Educator participants were introduced to three activities: creating towers, solving mysteries and coding robots to work from a distance. While working through the activities, the educators discussed and discovered some of the best teaching formats for student learning within a variety of environments. Engagement was at a high level as teachers shared their own enthusiasm for sharpening virtual learning skills that play a critical role not only in our everyday lives, but especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The second workshop, Virtual Engineering, engaged teachers in hands-on challenges using the engineering design process. Service providers and teachers from nine districts and service areas joined in the learning.

Participants explored hovercraft, found simple machines in the objects around them, discovered how the natural world inspires innovation, and took on a fun challenge to build a better hoop glider.

Prototypes of hoop gliders were tested and redesigned by using basic problem-solving skills. There also was considerable enthusiasm when the educators moved to online CAD software to complete the assignment of designing a touch-free key to support COVID-19 safety practices.

The learning never stops! Share this with a teacher you know. Future workshops include a focus on technology and much more. Visit the ALCOSAN Scholastic Outreach and Educational Professional Development program.

During 2020, the COVID-19 virus put so many things on hold, but the ALCOSAN team enhanced its commitment to charitable outreach. The year started with our annual United Way campaign and Jeans Days for Tickets for Kids. Then our employees really stepped up to the plate, raising nearly $22,500 for the Pittsburgh Food Bank in our annual Purple Shirt Celebration.

Yearly, the Authority holds a Turkey Bowl fundraiser for the KDKA Turkey Fund to help make sure families have enough to eat. Usually the event includes a pot-luck lunch and a cornhole tournament. Of course, the pandemic nixed the normal activities, so our employees put their heads together and created a successful, socially distanced putt-putt fundraiser tournament. Proving extremely popular, the event raised $3,775, which was matched by PNC Bank for a total of $7,750.

Overall, the Authority’s employees donated approximately $46,500 in 2020, helping to ease the burden of the pandemic for those in need.

You’ll get a peek into the journey ahead as we realize the Clean Water Plan and satisfy our Modified Consent Decree commitments. We will be sure to highlight how we accomplish the following:

• Prevent excess water from entering the sewer system.
• Increase use of adaptive water technologies and green management.
• Work with municipalities to assume ownership of sewers.
• Expand ALCOSAN’s wastewater treatment plant.
• We’re honored that you’ve connected with us to help the region protect the community’s health, and to be wise stewards of our public and natural resources.

Here’s to remaining 3 Rivers Proud!

 

Arletta Scott Williams Executive Producer

Gravity and pumps transport dirty water through a neighborhood’s sewer infrastructure (not owned by ALCOSAN) and then into ALCOSAN’s large interceptor lines, which terminate at our low-elevation wastewater treatment plant on Pittsburgh’s Northside.

This sewer pipe is large enough to hold a classic car! Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) began operation in 1959. Dirty water from municipal customers’ homes and businesses travel through neighborhood sewer pipes, then merge into large interceptor sewers. The wastewater ultimately lands at the Northside-based wastewater treatment plant.

An average of 215 million gallons of wastewater enter the plant’s wet well each day, and sometimes more when we have heavy rain or snowmelt. The wet well measures 40 feet in diameter and reaches about 150 feet below ground. At any given time, the well accumulates more than 580,000 gallons of circulating, dirty water.

Six huge pumps use 12,000 HP to move the dirty water to above ground level, allowing the liquid to move in a controlled, downward treatment journey throughout the remainder of the plant.

ALCOSAN’s huge wet well receives 215 million gallons of wastewater daily. It’s then primed for initial treatment with the help of the station’s six massive—and colorful–pumps.

The first step removes large solids and grit in the plant’s headworks area. Here, dirty liquid is screened by racks with bars spaced about three-quarters of an inch apart. Often Styrofoam, rags, leaves, and an occasional dollar bill are screened. You can use your imagination for what else gets strained out at this stage!

The large debris is regularly raked clear, with the resulting trash compacted for landfill. The bars capture up to 100 tons of large debris every year. Overall, water stays in this bar screen area for a brief four minutes before moving to the next stop.

Yuck! Trash, plastics, organic material, and many unidentifiable bits flow through our sewers, mixed with the wastewater that ALCOSAN treats. Such debris runs through immense screens, and is dried and readied for landfill.

The water flows on through one of six grit channels. Grit here often includes storm run-off from roads, like asphalt cinders, pebbles and sand. These aerated chambers measure 20 feet by 60 feet, and detain approximately 125,000 gallons of water for nearly four minutes at a time. The aeration helps to settle the heavy inorganic material to the bottom of the tank, where it is scraped and collected for removal. The lighter, lingering organic particles remain suspended in the water for the next stage. Just how much grit is there? Annually, 1,300 tons!

Wondering where the inside of a pothole disappears to? Here’s a clue: annually 1,300 tons of grit – sand, rocks and asphalt chunks – sweep through our sewer systems, and are filtered from wastewater at ALCOSAN’s treatment plant.

Next, a slow-down begins, as slightly cleaner water enters into one of nine primary sedimentation units. Ever smaller particles settle to the bottom of this tank. These tanks measure 280 feet in length, 15 feet deep and 67 feet wide. Accumulated scum and grease that traveled the sewers float to the top and are skimmed away with automated paddles.

After large debris is removed from wastewater, ALCOSAN slows the flow to capture grease and scum from the top, and small particles that settled to the tank’s bottom.

For now, we’ll ask you to hold the thought of two million gallons of dirty water sitting there for two hours, settling, and preparing for bugs? Yes, tune in to the next issue to learn how the wastewater continues its liquid journey, from your place to ours, and is aided by the intentional addition of helpful bugs!

ALCOSAN has been involved in negotiations with the United States Department of Justice, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the Allegheny County Health Department to come into compliance with the Clean Water Act (the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act). The Act states that the Authority must improve the water quality of our rivers and streams by reducing combined sewer overflows and eliminating sanitary sewer overflows.

The Modified Consent Decree (1) allows ALCOSAN to continue forward with its Clean Water Plan, a blueprint for reducing seven billion gallons of overflows from flowing into local rivers and streams, (2) extends time frames in which ALCOSAN must implement its Clean Water Plan, and (3) allows ALCOSAN to propose future amendments to the Clean Water Plan, which might include replacing some proposed control technologies with green infrastructure controls. This Modified Consent Decree replaces the current Consent Decree that was entered on January 24, 2008.

To reach the Consent Decree goals, the Clean Water Plan will focus on four key areas:

1. Preventing excess water from entering the sewer system

This involves use of the latest technology including green infrastructure such as bioswales and rain gardens; lining and repairing pipes to prevent groundwater from seeping into the system; diverting clean streams so they do not flow directly into sewers; and sewer separation projects. To advance this effort, ALCOSAN established Green Revitalization of Our Waterways (GROW), a multi-year, multi-million-dollar grant program that funds projects that municipalities and sewer authorities might not be able to afford otherwise.

2. Increasing adaptive management and conveyance capacity

ALCOSAN will use adaptive management and base long-term planning on data from green infrastructure, flow-reduction projects, and the latest technology. This provision in the Modified Consent Decree demonstrates the willingness of the parties to the order to consider the use of green infrastructure and other flow-reduction projects in lieu of gray infrastructure where it can be shown to be as impactful in reducing overflows. Under the Modified Consent Decree, ALCOSAN will also expand its conveyance system by adding pipes, diversion structures and tunnels.

3. Regionalizing multi-municipal sewers

ALCOSAN is making a good faith effort to assume ownership of certain multi-municipal trunk sewers and related facilities. ALCOSAN has conducted closed-circuit television inspections of these sewers, determined what repairs and improvements are necessary, and is now in the process of working with the municipalities to transfer ownership and make the necessary repairs. With the anticipated addition of more than 200 miles of sewer infrastructure as ALCOSAN’s responsibility, the system will be more efficient and seamless and it will reduce some of the burden on municipalities.

4. Expanding the wastewater treatment plant

The current capacity of 250 million gallons per day (mgd) makes ALCOSAN the largest wastewater treatment system in the region, but greater capacity is needed. The main pump station already has been upgraded and a new vehicle maintenance garage has been built outside the plant gates, making room to expand the treatment operation. ALCOSAN will expand wet weather treatment capacity of the plant from 250 mgd to 480 mgd and wet weather headworks and disinfection capacity to 600 mgd.

ALCOSAN first entered into a consent decree in 2008 and completed development of a plan to address wet weather overflows in 2012. Although comprehensive, the public challenged ALCOSAN to make the plan more affordable for ratepayers, yet flexible enough to take advantage of advances in the field of green stormwater and wastewater management. In order to meet those requests, further negotiations were necessary and occurred.

For more information about the Authority’s Clean Water Plan, please visit www.alcosan.org/our-plan.

Our programs offer individual as well as team building skills that allow students to gain hands-on experience in a diverse work environment. Since 2015, a total of 27 students have been exposed to every division of ALCOSAN’s organization, working alongside Authority employees in areas such as Operations, Engineering, Mechanical Maintenance, Purchasing, and Customer Service and Billing, as examples. Students who have held these internships have majored in a variety of fields; such as nuclear engineering, environmental sciences, biochemistry and molecular biology, civil engineering, business management, communications and electrical trades.

ALCOSAN’s Scholastic Outreach and Education department accepts internship applications for fall, spring and summer semesters from students who reside within ALCOSAN’s service area and meet the following requirements:

• High school students in grades 10-12 (including recent high school graduates)
• College students in their sophomore through senior year
• Post-graduate students
• College graduates who graduated within 12 months of requesting the internship

For more information on the programs and how to apply, please visit https://www.alcosan.org/educational-activities/internships-wave-program.

A winner will be selected on every Monday from the entries submitted during the previous week. There are six prizes up for grabs:

1. 1. Giant Swag: Get a little extra “super” for your market trip with a $50 Giant Eagle gift card and some swag from ALCOSAN and KDKA.
2. 2. Sandwiches and Sights: Start with some famously delicious sandwiches using a $50 gift card from Primanti Bros. Then take in the sights with two (2) round trip incline tickets as well as ALCOSAN swag.
3. 3. Soarin’ Style: Upgrade your style thanks to a $75 gift card from American Eagle Outfitters as well as some swag from ALCOSAN.
4. 4. Spanish Seafood Supper: Get ready for a special night out with a $100 Mallorca gift card and swag from ALCOSAN.
5. 5. Spa and Shoes: Relax your cares away with $100 Sewickley Spa gift card. Then hit the pavement with a $50 gift card from Little’s and some ALCOSAN swag.
6. 6. Family Feast: Take your taste buds to Mt. Washington with a $150 gift card to LeMont. And we’ll give you an ALCOSAN swag bag for later!

Winners will be announced on www.alcosan.org/sweeps. You can also watch for the results on ALCOSAN’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. Good luck and we hope you enjoy ALCOSAN’s 2020 Summer Sweepstakes.