Filtration plant gets applause


Friday, June 30, 2006

By JOHN BRAND

Herald Senior Writer

SPARTA — Newton officials celebrated Thursday the dedication of a state-of-the-art water filtration plant that is one of only two that exist in New Jersey.

The plant's capacity far exceeds the town's population of 8,000 and could potentially accommodate as many as 14,000 people, the United States Department of Agriculture's state Director of Rural Development Andrew M.G. Law said.

Law said each year he receives from the U.S. Department of Treasury an appropriation for New Jersey, which his office doles out based on need. In 2002, he dedicated the entire $1.7 million appropriation to Newton for the Morris Lake Water Filtration Plant. The USDA also agreed to loan Newton $5.7 million to cover the difference for the project. The money can be paid back over 40 years and at a lower interest rate than a traditional bond, he said.

"What this plant does is it puts to rest for the next 10, 15, 20 years any concern about whether additional capacity will be needed to accommodate growth," Law said. "Having sufficient water permits a positive atmosphere for economic growth not only for Newton, but for surrounding communities as well."

The state's Department of Environmental Protection in the early 1970s instructed Newton to install a 16-inch water main from the Morris Lake and down the Sparta Glen. An August 2000 flood washed it away, leaving Newton fearing a water-shortage crisis until it plugged into Sparta's water sources.

The town knew since the late 1990s that it had to build a new plant, but the project was put on hold as the town addressed the more emergent need of fixing the water main.

With the USDA's help, Newton was able to go online with its water filtration plant in October 2004.

Dozens of town employees as well as Mayor Philip Diglio and Councilmembers Thea Unhoch and Ray Storm attended the ceremony, which included canoe rides along Morris Lake.

Diglio admitted he was reluctant to move forward with the project, fearing taking on a long-term loan. By Thursday, his perspective had changed.

"I'm happy it's here," Diglio said. "It looks good and I hope we get many years of service from it."

The filtration system is stored within a 15,000-square-foot building at the dead end of Morris Lake Road, off Glen Road in Sparta. A much smaller building that used to house the town's former chlorine-based system pulls water from the 106-acre Morris Lake into a nearby valve chamber that pumps it underground to the filtration plant.

The water travels through three filter skids that look like torpedoes, where it is pressed through ceramic filtration membranes that remove any harmful particles, said James Scannella, who built the plant on behalf of Newark-based Scafar Contracting.

Once out of the filters, the water is injected with chlorine and three other chemicals that act as disinfectants, he said.

Josh Hutson, senior engineer of MWH Americas, which designed the plant, said the technology enables Newton to provide the safest, most potable water rivaled only by a similar plant in Morris County.

"The town has made an impressive commitment to providing customers with the highest standard of drinking water that exists today," Hutson said.