Saratoga Springs to renovate water plant’s filtering system

PHOTOGRAPHER: Lee Coleman

An Albany-based engineering company has been hired to develop plans for the renovation of the four sand filters in the Saratoga Springs water treatment plant.

The filters haven’t been refurbished since 1967, according to Public Works Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco.

The water treatment plant, which is located at Excelsior and Marion avenues, uses ultraviolet radiation and sodium hypochlorite to actually purify the water.

The City Council approved a $70,000 contract with Barton and Loguidice of Albany on April 19 to draw up specifications for the rehabilitation of the filters as well as the control system on the filters.

“The sand filters lose the ability to filter,” Scirocco said. He said the sand particles in the filter get “rounded off” and don’t function as well as they get older.

Only three of the four filters are currently functioning. Filter No. 2 is not functioning and will be the first filter to be rehabilitated, he said.

Barton and Loguidice will draw up specifications for the filter rehabilitation project and then the work will be put out to bid.

Richard Straut, senior vice president for Barton and Loguidice, attended a recent City Council meeting to answer questions about the project.

His company will also oversee the filter renovation work as part of the contract.

The control instrumentation on the filters will also be replaced. These units haven’t been renovated in 25 years.

Scirocco said the city may be able to save some money by having the Department of Public Works remove the old sand in the filters and perform other work.

The city water plant filters and treats about 2 million gallons per day during most of the year. But in the busy summer tourism season, when the city’s population swells from 26,500 to more than 50,000, the plant will filter and treat between 6 and 7 million gallons of water per day, according to Thomas Kirkpatrick, the water plant superintendent.

Scirocco said he is not sure if the filter work will be done before or after the summer tourism season.

He said the work would probably not be done during the busy summer season.

The City Council also approved a $3,700 contract with C.A. Smith LLC, environmental consultants with an office in Ballston Spa, to investigate the amount of asbestos in the former Waterfront Restaurant on Crescent Avenue.

Mayor Scott Johnson said the company will tell the city how much asbestos has to be removed from the old restaurant on Saratoga Lake before the building can be demolished.

The city will have to seek bids on the actual asbestos removal work.

The city purchased the old eatery and property around it in 2006 for $2 million, using money from an Open Space bond issue approved by voters some years ago.

Johnson said the city will use a $200,000 state grant to gradually develop the site for public use once the old restaurant is removed this year. Deputy Mayor Shauna Sutton said the mayor hopes that some access can be provided to city residents this year.

The property is currently fenced and locked for safety and security reasons until it can be improved.

The first things that will be done to the property after the building is removed will be to add parking areas and possibly a small dock near the lake for non-motorized boats, Sutton said.