PEC Project of the Year: New Rochelle Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvement Project

PEC Project Engineering Firms:
Savin Engineers, P.C.
Acadis
CDM Smith
GHD

The Long Island Sound is an estuary that serves numerous local communities and the regional economy by providing boating, fishing, swimming and sightseeing. The sound is a vital water body that provides a home for numerous species of aquatic life to breed, nest and nurse.  Due to concerns over poor water and aquatic quality, significant efforts have been made toward identifying pollutants and other issues that impact the sound and developing plans to mitigate them.

Water quality studies have been performed and nitrogen has been identified as a principal factor limiting the water quality of the Long Island Sound. Excess nitrogen levels in the Long Island Sound stimulate phytoplankton growth, which in turn blocks light and prevent growth of submerged aquatic vegetation, destroying the habitat of different fish and shellfish. When the phytoplankton die and decay, available oxygen is then depleted. Thus, dissolved oxygen concentrations fall below the needed levels for the survival of aquatic organisms. [Read more…]