OCWA will be working on a major improvement project at the Seneca and Thurber Street pump stations. These two pump stations were constructed by Onondaga County and the City of Syracuse in the early 1970′s as part of the Southern Branch Water System which supplies water to the surrounding areas of the City, the Southwood area and portions of the Town of Onondaga. The Southern Branch Water System was operated and maintained by the City of Syracuse until recently when OCWA took over the operations and maintenance of the system. With the pump stations being over 40 years old, they are in need of significant maintenance renovations.
With significant maintenance work being needed, OCWA took this opportunity to evaluate all aspects of the facility and implement our 7G sustainability practices into the operation of the facility. The evaluation culminated in the construction project which includes replacement of the roof with an increased layer of insulation, conversion of electric heat to gas heat, upgrade of the electrical service, replacement of lights with more efficient modern lighting, replacement of the pumps and motors with high efficiency equipment, and installation of backup generators for improved reliability of the system. Construction began in the fall of 2012 and will be continuing through July 2013.
The major work for the facilities is the replacement of the pumps and installation of the generators which will occur in April, May and June 2013. During this time period temporary pumps will be placed outside of the pump stations. The temporary pumping system has been selected to minimize noise, but as with any construction project, there will be some disturbances and inconveniences. No major changes are proposed to the structures themselves and the work should be completed by the end of July. The improvements are projected to result in a 30% reduction of energy usage at the pump stations, will result in a more reliable water system and will be ready to serve the area for another 40 years.
