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.
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