17414_Authority_April_2024

58 The Authority | APRIL 2024 The authority will be working on a schedule for renovations of the other systems, he said. The authority is hoping that the DEP will handle some of those additional renovations, and that grants will cover the cost of the others that the authority will manage, Semelsberger said. “The goal is grants and partnerships,” so the work doesn’t require financial input from authority customers, she said. The AWA grant is one of 16 that the DEP recently allocated as part of the Abandoned Mine Lands and Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) Grant Program, according to an email from the Shapiro administration. The grants total $101 million. S Reprinted with permission from the Altoona Mirror 1/23/24 Altoona article continued from page 23. Spaghetti Hole first treatment cell, Stabilization Pond Second treatment cell, Vertical Flow Pond, with the Stabilization Pond in the distance. Upturned pipe, for aeration, alongside the Vertical Flow Pond flush pipe, behind the rectangular weir before entering the final treatment cell, the Sedimentation Basin. The Spaghetti Hole System redesign grant is the first of many. The Altoona Water Authority operates and maintains eight passive treatment systems designed to treat Abandoned Mine Drainage. Six of the eight systems contribute flow to Glenwhite Run. Before these systems were designed in the early 2000’s, Glenwhite Run was severely impacted by mining activities. These activities made it inhabitable for any creature to thrive in the stream. In addition to a less than favorable home for aquatic life, the acidic and metal abundant water was wreaking havoc on the authority’s drinking water treatment plant. The impaired water was damaging the system’s infrastructure, becoming more and more costly to treat, and producing metal laden sludge that needed to be properly disposed of. Once these passive treatment systems were implemented in the early 2000’s, the stream began to flourish again and water treatment procedures returned to more ideal conditions. As the six systems are going beyond their intended life expectancy, the authority has been working with the PA DEP to construct a plan moving forward. It was decided to start with Spaghetti Hole because it is at the end of the access road to four of the six systems. With this redesign, the access road design will be included to accommodate all truck traffic moving forward with each of the system redesign projects. The goal of the authority is to continue to apply for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) grants through the PA DEP, to pay for the redesigns and construction of these aging systems. The DEP has been a great asset to the authority during this process. Not only has the Department been helpful with the grant applications, but they also have taken interest in redesigning two of the systems within the Department. With that dedication and assistance, it will allow the projects to happen efficiently and as cost effective as possible. The authority is enthusiastic about ensuring these projects develop, unfold, and succeed as we move towards future operations. We pride ourselves in being stewards of our watersheds to protect the environment and our customers. We believe that the redesign of Spaghetti Hole is a big step in the right direction to achieve our drinking water goals for decades to come. S Katie Semelsberger, Land Manager Altoona Water Authority