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Remote links considered for sewage pump stations |
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Written by Publisher
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Tuesday, 30 June 2009 |
Photo by Ted Lutz
The Northwest sewage-pumping station on Route 6 in Wetmore Township west of Kane is one of seven sites linked with a telephone alarm system. A proposal calls for replacing the landlines with a remote communications system to signal problems at the stations.
By Ted Lutz
Republican Staff
The Kane Borough Sewer Authority is considering the use of a remote communication system to warn of problems at seven sewage-pumping stations.
The authority now has separate Verizon land telephone lines linked with the pumping stations, all in Wetmore Township. When problems are detected, the phones alert borough sewage treatment department employees.
A “wireless” remote system would replace the landlines and send alerts through the airwaves.
Phil Lingenfelter, the foreman of the Kane sewage treatment operation, said Monday that he is “absolutely 100 percent” in favor of the remote system.
“There’re fewer problems,” he said in reference to the radio system.
Lingenfelter said high winds have “taken out” the telephone lines running to the sewage pumping stations. He said there also have been “mechanical” problems with the landlines.
As a result, there have been many “false alarms” reported by the “dedicated” phone lines linked with the pumping stations.
This creates a costly situation because the authority often must pay workers overtime to respond to the alarms — even those that are false.
From 2007 through the first four months of this year, the authority spent $2,039 in overtime for “callouts” by employees responding to alerts at the sewage pumping stations.
Kane Borough Manager Patrick Nuzzo, who is the secretary of the sewer authority, said the cost for each “dedicated” telephone line to a pumping station is $91.16 per month. This totals $638.12 per month for all seven stations or more than $7,600 per year.
Nuzzo said Monday that he also favors the switch from landlines to the remote communications system, which he believes is “more fool-proof.”
“I’d be in favor of it,” he said.
During previous meetings, the five-member authority has discussed the use of a remote radio communications system to replace telephone lines. The authority has yet to seek formal bids.
Matt Bressler and Lowell Watts of Bressler Communications of Kane made a presentation on a remote system at the authority’s last meeting in May.
Bressler estimated the cost of the radio link at $44,950.
“It’s not cheap,” Nuzzo said. However, he believes the authority in time could recoup the cost of the remote system.
If the current telephone lines detect a problem at the sewage pumping stations, the system automatically calls the Pine Street sewage treatment plant. If no one is reached, the system follows a sequence of calls until someone responds to the alarm.
Possible problems at the sewage pumping stations include a loss of electrical power or high flows. Promptly learning of problems is critical because the stations do not have backup generators.
If the stations are out of service for a long period of time, a company from Warren is called to pump sewage from the sites.
The authority may re-visit the remote communications proposal at its meeting July 20 at 7 p.m. at the borough building. The meeting is open to the public.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 30 July 2009 )
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