The Riverhead Town Board on Tuesday approved borrowing by the Riverhead Water District to finance the upgrade of the electrical systems at its plant in Calverton that produces nearly one-quarter of the water pumped by the water district every year.
Plant 7, located on Fresh Pond Avenue in Calverton, was built in the 1980s and all of its electrical equipment is past its useful life and must be replaced to ensure the functionality of the plant’s two wells, according to Riverhead Water District Superintendent Frank Mancini.
“These are extremely valuable wells to us,” Mancini said, “and we can’t wait any longer to do this type of upgrade.”
The plant supplies about 40% of the water pumped “toward the high zone,” or the northern half of the town and 20% of all water pumped by the district annually.
The town will issue bonds of $2,350,000 to raise the capital for the necessary improvements, which were detailed in a map and plan prepared by water district consulting engineers H2M. The Town Board held a public hearing on the plan and the proposed borrowing on Feb. 19.
There was a “small fire” at the plant a couple of months earlier that burned inside one of the starter panels of the wells, Mancini said at the hearing. “I’ve got to get that up and running for the summer,” Mancini said.
The electrical system rehabilitation project will include the installation of variable frequency drives on the well pumps, updated electrical controls that fully integrate with the district’s control systems, new well feeders, replacement of the existing generator, piping and fuel tank, and a new monitoring system.
The variable speed drive on the wells will “help us get more water out of the ground when we’re pumping a ton and high pressure is occurring in the system,” Mancini said.
The electrical service will be upgraded from 600-amp to 800-amp service, at a cost of about $250,000, to provide adequate electric service to meet future demands, especially if a treatment system must be installed at a later date.
The plant currently produces water of “phenomenal quality,” Mancini has said, but he wants to be prepared to deal with any future contamination. Because of its location northeast of known groundwater contamination at the former Navy site in Calverton, Plant 7 is “at risk from a site that’s pretty far away, but that’s how the groundwater moves on Long Island,” Mancini said.
Other Town Board actions taken March 18
Mixed-use building on East Main Street and Prospect Place: The board approved an excavation permit for the developer of a two-story, mixed use building on the northeast corner East Main Street and Prospect Place. The site plan of the Fisher Organization was approved by the Planning Board in June. The building at 836 E. Main St. will provide eight rental apartments on the second floor and ground floor commercial space. The plan requires the excavation and exportation of 2,851 cubic yards of material. The permit fee, calculated at $2 per cubic yard, is $5,902.
New Highway Department maintenance barn in Wading River. The Town Board authorized an agreement with the Raynor Group engineering firm for the construction of a new highway maintenance barn at 94 Sound Avenue in Wading River. The engineering services will cost an estimated total of $58,000. The planned 3,200-sqaure-foot prefabricated building will be used for storing equipment and will also provide a lounge area and bathroom for highway department crew members. The engineering contract covers planning, permitting and engineering designs, the preparation of bid specifications, site plan drawings and construction plans.
‘Streetscapes Project” on East Main Street. The board authorized an addendum to an agreement with VHB for the preparation of an updated right-of-way survey for the streetscapes project on East Main Street at an additional cost of $16,000.
Excavation fees raised. The board dopted a local law amending the “Excavation and Grading” chapter of the town code to increase the fee charged by the town for materials exported from or imported to a site from $2 to $3 per cubic yard.
New permit and license fees set. The board set the following permit and license fees by resolutions, pursuant to town code amendments adopted at the last meeting authorizing these fees to be set by resolution rather than by local law amending the town code:
- Yard sale permit fee: $10 per day (previously $5 per permit);
- Dog licenses: $10 (altered dog) and $20 (unaltered dog), increased from $9 and $15 respectively. Replacement tag: $5, increased from $3.
- Redemption of impounded dogs from $25 for first impoundment, increased from $20.
- Redemption of impounded dogs: $40 plus $5 per each additional 24 hours (second impoundment within one year) and $60 plus $5 per each additional 24 hours (third impoundment within one year). These fees were set at the same amounts that had been provided by code.
- Peddlers (trucks, trailers) license fee: $350 per year and $200 per six months, increased from $100 per year and $75 per six months. The three-month license was eliminated by the code amendment adopted March 4.
- Solicitors or canvassers going house-to-house: $250 per year and $150 per six months, increased from $75 per year and $50 per six months. The three-month license was eliminated by the code amendment adopted March 4.
Special event applications approved:
- Chicken Kidz Children’s Consignment Sale at Polish Hall, Sept. 30-Oct. 5.
- The American Cancer Society “Making Strides Against Cancer” walk in Grangebel Park and along Main Street on Oct. 5.
- Slow Food East End “Earth Day Celebration” April 19 1-4 p.m. (rain date April 26) at Golden Acres Farm, 652 Peconic Bay Blvd., Jamesport.
- Riverhead Rotary “Garden Festival” charity plant sale, May 1- May 12, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., 200 Tanger Mall (West Elm Parking Lot).
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