Gloversville-Johnstown, New York

The Cities of Gloversville and Johnstown, New York operate a Joint Wastewater Treatment Facility to treat up to 13.8 mg of domestic sanitary sewage daily. The Gloversville-Johnstown Joint Sewer Board (GJJSB) manages the facility located 35 miles west of Albany, NY and also treats a large, variable industrial wastewater discharge from food manufacturers, leather tanning and finishing, metal finishing, textile and other major industries. The cities have developed a strategy to use CHP technologies integrated with advanced activated sludge systems to achieve energy independence in the facility by 2010. Because CHP systems are so flexible in design and operation, use of the technologies has enabled this approach since GJJSB must be able to treat up to 30 MGD (peak) due to the variable industrial wastewater input to the treatment facility from industries in the area. This strategy is built on previous CHP applications and operational experience. The construction improvements now underway will more than double capacity for on-site electric power generation and boost production of digester biogas to fuel an expanded CHP system and lead to the goal of generating all facility electricity needs on-site by early 2010.