Sewer Department

History

In 1964, Contract 2A and 2B were put out to bid for a treatment plant and pumping station in the village. Sealed bids were accepted for the project by the village board until January 18, 1965. The project included the construction of a contact stabilization type treatment plant, two package type pumping stations, and an outfall sewer. The consulting engineer for the village was O’Brien and Gere Consulting Engineers.

In order for the project to proceed, 170 right-of-way agreements had to be obtained. (The population of Central Square was about 1,000). John A. LeFaivre, chairman of the local citizens committee, was the primary person distributing the agreements. The general plan of the proposed sewer locations was on display for the public at the bank.

In March 1965, ground was broken on the sewer project at ceremonies officiated by Lowell Gregg, Mayor Milton Dunham, and George Traub Jr. Olin Construction Company was engaged to install the eight miles of sewer lines, the two pumping stations, and the purification plant.

At the time of its completion, the Village of Central Square was the only one in Oswego County with a complete sewer system. The first streets that were ready were East Avenue, Webb Avenue, and the east side of South Main Street between Webb Avenue and the village square.

The Plant Today

The rehabilitation of the Wastewater Treatment Plant improvements occurred in 2018. One of the most important considerations this year will be the upgrades to our aging wastewater treatment facility (WWTF). We will be replacing components that are essentially worn out. This retrofit will be good for another 20-25 years. Unfortunately, the equipment that needs replacement includes diesel-powered pumps, submersible influent pumps, actuators, level sensors, diffuser assemblies, air control valves, decanters, process control panels, and effluent filters. These are just some of the parts that need updating this year.

Rates

The Village of Central Square has one of the lowest quarterly rates in the county.

The WWTF operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Few of us think of where the “stuff” goes when we flush our toilets, wash our laundry, or clean our dishes until we experience a backup or mechanical failure in our own home. We are fortunate to have two very competent engineers on staff, Robert Smith, Jr. and Gary Allen. These two individuals work closely with our village engineer, Paul Sheneman, the Department of Environmental Conservation, Oswego County, and village residents. Our goal is to keep things flowing without any disruptions. The Village Board has had numerous discussions on how to keep rates low and plan for the future.

The Village will be working with Municipal Solutions to secure a low-interest loan. The cost of renovations will be between $1.5-1.6 million. The reason for the differential is due to possible state requirements and the village being proactive in adding an Ultra Violet (UV) disinfecting process to provide one more additional way to purify the water. We will keep you informed.