Chester Engineers completed a pilot study and detailed design services for Mountaintop Area Joint Sanitary Authority (MAJSA) for Biological Nitrogen Removal (BNR) at their wastewater treatment plant located in Mountaintop, PA.

The MAJSA wastewater treatment plant is located within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and therefore expects to receive Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorous limits within the next NPDES permit.   Chester, working with the Authority, completed a pilot study to determine if a process change to provide denitrification would provide adequate treatment to meet the expected total nitrogen limits. The pilot train had been operational for two months and provided data for about 6 weeks.

With the recent announcement of $50 million in grant money set aside exclusively for Biological Nutrient Removal and SSO/CSO Elimination projects, Chester assisted MAJSA by completing the upgrade design plans and specifications.   Chester then assisted the Authority in the preparation of a grant application resulting in the subsequent successful award of a grant for $ 2,850,000.

The detailed design includes alum addition for phosphorous removal and methanol to provide a carbon source to assure sufficient nitrogen removal. In addition to the BNR portion of the project, MAJSA wants to convert from chlorine disinfection to ultraviolet disinfection due to current trihalomethane limits within their existing permit that they cannot consistently meet through the current process. Currently, MAJSA utilizes a breakpoint chlorination system for ammonia nitrogen removal and has a dechlorination system. The breakpoint and dechlorination systems will be maintained as backup systems.

Chester assisted MAJSA during the bidding process. The bid has been awarded and project construction will commence.   Chester is providing engineering services during the construction phase of the project.

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