Hazleton, PA

Long-Term Control Planning and GIS Mapping for Hazleton Sewer System

Client: Greater Hazleton Joint Sewer Authority
Our Role: Planning, Engineering

Aerial view of the Greater Hazleton Joint Sewer Authority wastewater treatment plant and treatment basins.

The Greater Hazleton Joint Sewer Authority (GHJSA) serves Hazleton City, West Hazleton Borough, portions of Hazle Township, and other neighboring entities through a complex combined sewer and stormwater system. Preparing for additional requirements in their new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, future wet weather regulatory discharge thresholds, inherited Capacity Assurance Program limits on new customer connections, and upcoming planned municipal sewage facility updates, GHJSA teamed with GFT to provide comprehensive engineering support to address both immediate compliance obligations and long-term infrastructure needs. GFT is providing an integrated suite of services and guidance to help GHJSA meet state and federal regulatory requirements, coordinate across multiple municipalities, and build the data foundation needed for sustainable system management and growth.

Key Features

Developed an updated long-term control plan (LTCP) for the combined sewer system spanning 15 drainage basins and 13 wet-weather diversion chambers to obtain and maintain 85% wet weather capture, utilizing a data-driven systematic approach to optimize system priorities and significant planned area growth.
Developed a flow data collection plan involving deployment of meters at 14 combined sewer overflow (CSO) sites, wastewater treatment plant influent flow records, six lift station loggers, and rain gauge information to support system-wide flow analysis.
Completed system-wide flow analysis and wet weather flow control evaluation using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presumptive approach, targeting 85% wet weather capture, and submitted flow analysis report to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) to use as a baseline for LTCP development.
Developed a hydraulic model based on metered water usage and detailed rainfall measurements and validated with metered flow data to evaluate capture performance. This model will be a key tool for identifying long-term overflow reduction needs and assessing capital improvement alternatives.
Designed and deployed an ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Field Maps solution for large-scale field data collection by GHJSA staff across multiple municipalities.
Leading the development of a regional Act 537 sewage facilities plan, coordinating six municipal entities and two quasi-municipal entities across GHJSA’s service area.
Managing stakeholder coordination, public review and adoption process, consistency determinations, and uniform environmental reviews in accordance with PA DEP requirements.

Outcomes

Positioned GHJSA to satisfy updated NPDES permit requirements for combined sanitary and storm sewer systems and alternatives to meet EPA’s 85% combined sewage capture requirement by the target year.
Established a clear, data-driven roadmap to close the identified approximately 4% systemwide capture gap of approximately 2 million gallons per wet weather event needed to achieve regulatory compliance.
Provided a coordinated, multi-jurisdictional planning framework to replace aging municipal sewage facility plans.
Delivered a comprehensive, high-accuracy geographic information system (GIS) database capturing thousands of manholes and sewer mains, supporting both asset management and regulatory planning.
Created an authoritative long-term asset management system of record to support capital planning, maintenance prioritization, and future regulatory reporting.
Advanced GHJSA’s environmental stewardship goals by developing actionable solutions to reduce CSOs into local waterways.