NJ AMERICAN WATER FLOOD GATE REPLACEMENT AND STABILIZATION

NJ American Water recently completed stormwater improvements to the Raritan Millstone Water Treatment Plant (RMWTP) that are being funded with approximately $27.2 million in loans from the NJ Water Bank, a joint low-rate funding program of the DEP and the NJ I-Bank. This project qualified for the maximum amount of principal forgiveness, totaling $2,121,919 as it addressed damage from previous storms and improved resilience for future storms. Including interest cost savings, total savings for this project is estimated to be $14.8 million over the 30-year term of the loan or 55% of the total project cost. In addition, this project created an estimated 326 direct construction jobs.  

The Raritan River, Millstone River and Delaware and Raritan Canal all supply water to the treatment plant. The entire facility is surrounded by a flood protection wall and levee because it is located in the floodplain of the Raritan River. The existing flood protection wall and levee were originally designed for the 100-year storm elevation after the RMWTP was inundated by flood waters during Hurricane Floyd in 1999. In August of 2011, during Hurricane Irene, floodwaters came within one inch of breaching the wall. This project will protect the water supply system and prevent service interruptions, potential health hazards and water quality impacts that would result if the plant were to flood again. 

The project included demolition of the existing structures, replacement of the flood gates and reconstruction and stabilization of the existing flood walls. The flood walls around the perimeter of the plant were raised from 44 feet elevation to 48 feet, an access roadway was reconstructed, two scour holes were constructed for drainage and intake sluice gates at the Low Lift pumping station were replaced. 

According to Deborah Degillio, President of New Jersey American Water, "This project is the result of countless hours of planning and 18 months of construction made possible by hundreds of professionals who came together to make our vision of protecting this facility a reality. We have fortified this critical infrastructure in order to provide clean, safe, reliable water service – not only to our customers in Central New Jersey who rely on us every day, but also to the millions of residents throughout the State whom we help during emergency situations. And we financed the project through the low-cost NJ Water Bank Program to save money for our ratepayers." 

This project was designed by NJAW, AECOM Technical Services, and Eric Ditchey, P.E., LLC, and constructed by Coppola Services, Inc.

Pictures courtesy of NJ  American Water.