Wastewater Master Plan Information
Background
In February 2003, the City of Olean (City) entered an Order on Consent with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) for State Pollution Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit violations that occurred at the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) from January 1998 through February 2000. The violations occurred due to excessive wet weather flows and included excursions for settleable solids, total suspended solids (TSS) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).
The Order on Consent established Action Items and a Schedule of Compliance. These Action Items included submittal and implementation of a sewer system assessment plan to address collection system monitoring and maintenance as well as enforcement of the City’s existing Sewer Use Ordinance (SUO), pump station assessments, and a wet weather operating plan. It was determined that these Action Items were insufficient to meet SPDES permit compliance. As a result, the City was required to submit an Engineering Report and schedule for additional remediation work to achieve compliance. The 2005 Final Draft Master Plan (Malcolm Pirnie, Inc., 2005) was developed to fulfill this requirement by establishing goals, actions and projected outcomes of six major program elements:
- Treatment Plant Improvements
- Interceptor Improvements
- Pump Station Improvements
- Sanitary Sewer System Asset Management
- Storm Sewer Asset Management
- Sewer Use Ordinance Enforcement
Wastewater Master Plan Final Draft
Mayor's Press Release 4/16/2025 - Citywide Stormwater Basin Testing Underway
2025-06-05
Allegheny River Task Force meeting was held at the Waste Water Treatment Plant. Informational Tour of the Lab and facility. Tour of the S. 4th Street Pump Station. Information and understanding of the operation of the plant and the pump station was shared with Seneca Nation.
The next meeting scheduled in July.
2025-05-27
Meeting held with DEC Officials in reference to our Consent Order.
Update on Catch Basins Testing
Below is the assessment of what can be done with areas found during the testing:
- West Ohio and York Street: should be able to do this in house by reconnecting the basins into the nearby storm line.
- South Eighteenth Street: will need an outside contractor to do approx. 600 ft. of storm line to Henley St. Elevations will have to be checked to see if correct fall can be achieved.
- The dead end of North Second Street: will need an outside contractor to do approx. 450 ft. of storm line to Sullivan St. Elevations will have to be checked to see if correct fall can be achieved.
- 121 North Second Street: will need an outside contractor to do approx. 400 ft. of storm line to W. State St. Elevations will have to be checked to see if correct fall can be achieved.
- First and Henley Street: should be able to do in house by reconnecting the basins to the storm line.
- Monroe Terrace: should be able to do in house by reconnecting about 200 ft. of storm line in York St line.
- River Street and East Pine Street: will need an outside contractor to do approx. 300 ft. of storm line to Oak St. Elevations will have to be checked to see if correct fall can be achieved.
2025-05-15
Allegheny River Task force conducted a Zoom meeting. The discussion centered on comments the Seneca Nation received from DEC Officials during their visit to state officials in Albany as well as the Nation’s concerns about the discharges into the river.