Village of Saugerties

Description

The Village of Saugerties operates a wastewater treatment plant located at 111 Dock Street.  In the past several years the wastewater plant has seen a number of upgrades to have it meet and exceed expected future demands.

The Saugerties Wastewater Treatment Plant started out as very simple operation.  Before 1980, there was only a primary settling tank and some sludge drying beds.  The effluent from the settling tanks would be chlorinated and released to the river.  The solids were sent to the drying beds, where they were dried and then removed.

In 1980 there was major re-construction of the plant, involving the installation of many new processes.  For example, new grit chambers were installed.   (These are considered primary treatment, in which the sand and heavy solids that were carried to the plant are removed before treatment of the remaining waters.)  Primary settling tanks were added to settle out the suspended solids.  Rotating bio-contractors were installed as a  secondary treatment, to further remove the finer solids from the liquid.  Secondary settling tanks were also installed to settle out the solids from the secondary treatment.  Finally, before allowing the waters to be discharged into the river, the waters would be chlorinated to kill all bacteria.

The collected solids from the process are pumped into a thickener and thickened and fed into a digester system where anaerobic bacteria further break down the waste. A by-product of the anaerobic digestion is methane gas which is used to heat the primary sludge to a year round temperature of 96 degrees Fahrenheit. Finally the solids are pumped to a belt press and the water is removed and the solids are placed into a trailer and travels to a certified landfill where the product is made into types of fertilizers.

Today, the Village of Saugerties Wastewater Treatment Plant can process up to 1.3 millions of gallons of liquid waste per day, with over 400 tons of solids removed per year. 

Personnel

6 dedicated people handle the daily operation of the plant and the collection system: 

• Sarina Augustine, Plant Operator
• John Ingrassia, Part time Operator
• Joe Hunter, Belt Press Operator / Mechanic
• Mike LoPinto, Maintentance
• Louis Kolbe, Wastewater Collection System Maintenance

Plant Hours/Contacts

SPDES

The New York State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) controls waste water discharge.  This program is from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).  The Village of Saugerties SPDES Permit # is NY0031208.

Am I a Village or a Town Water Customer?

When you are trying to pay sewer (or water) bills or get answers to questions you might have about your sewer (or water) service, the appropriate contact for you will either be the Village Sewer Department or the Town Sewer Department.  In general:

• If you live in the Village (see map if uncertain), your water questions should go to the Village Water Department Clerk (see grey box on this page).  One "quirk" to be aware of is that the Village water department services residences on Route 212, from the at-grade railroad track crossing near Beer Universe to Smokehouse of the Catskills (North Woods Jeep Trail turn-off).
   
• If you receive municipal water service and are a resident of Malden, Glasco/Barclay Heights or Kings Highway (Route 212 to Markertek), you are looking for the Town of Saugerties Water Department.  For the Town of Saugerties Water/Sewer Department, please click here.