Bergen County Utilities Authority Little Ferry

1. INTRODUCTION

The Little Ferry Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) serves as the cornerstone of wastewater infrastructure for Bergen County, New Jersey. Operated by the Bergen County Utilities Authority (BCUA), this facility is permitted for a design flow of 109 million gallons per day (MGD), making it one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the state. Situated along the Hackensack River, the plant provides critical sanitation services to approximately 570,000 residents and thousands of commercial and industrial entities across 47 municipalities.

Originally commissioned in the early 1950s, the facility has evolved from primary treatment to a sophisticated secondary treatment complex with advanced solids handling capabilities. In recent years, the Little Ferry WPCF has gained industry recognition for its aggressive pursuit of energy independence and climate resilience. Following the devastation of Superstorm Sandy, the BCUA implemented a landmark Combined Heat and Power (CHP) project and flood mitigation strategies, positioning the facility as a model for resilient coastal infrastructure in the Northeast.

2. FACILITY OVERVIEW

A. Service Area & Coverage

The BCUA Little Ferry system serves a dense, highly urbanized and suburbanized region of Northern New Jersey. The service area encompasses approximately 100 square miles, covering the central and southern portions of Bergen County. The collection system is vast, comprising over 100 miles of interceptor sewers and forcing mains that convey flow from municipal collection systems to the plant. The demographic profile is mixed, with significant residential density alongside commercial corridors and light industrial zones.

B. Operational Capacity

The facility operates with a design hydraulic capacity of 109 MGD. While the average daily flow typically ranges between 75 and 80 MGD, the plant is engineered to handle substantial wet weather peaks. Due to the age of the collection systems in many contributing municipalities, Inflow and Infiltration (I/I) remain significant factors; peak wet weather flows can surge significantly, testing the hydraulic limits of the headworks and primary treatment systems. The authority actively manages these peaks through equalization strategies and pump station coordination.

C. Discharge & Compliance

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Treated effluent is discharged into the Hackensack River, an estuarine water body that has been the subject of intensive regional restoration efforts. The facility operates under a New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) permit administered by the NJDEP. Compliance requires strict adherence to limits on Carbonaceous Biochemical Oxygen Demand (CBOD), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), pH, and residual chlorine. As the Hackensack River is a tidal estuary, the plant’s performance is critical to the ecological health of the Meadowlands District.

3. TREATMENT PROCESS

The Little Ferry WPCF utilizes a conventional activated sludge process designed to achieve high-level secondary treatment standards. The process train is robust, designed to handle the variability inherent in a large, combined service area.

A. Preliminary Treatment

Raw wastewater enters the facility through major interceptors where it undergoes preliminary treatment to protect downstream equipment.

• Screening: Mechanically cleaned bar screens remove large debris, rags, and plastics. The facility utilizes step-screens to ensure high capture rates and protect pumps.
• Grit Removal: Following screening, flow enters aerated grit chambers where velocity is controlled to allow inorganic sands, gravel, and coffee grounds to settle while keeping organic material in suspension.
• Odor Control: The headworks building is enclosed and ventilated to chemical scrubbers (typically wet scrubbers utilizing bleach and caustic) to neutralize hydrogen sulfide and other odorous compounds before air release.

B. Primary Treatment

Flow flows to rectangular primary settling tanks. Here, the velocity is reduced to allow heavier solids to settle as primary sludge, while grease and oils float to the surface for skimming.

• Configuration: Multiple rectangular clarifiers operating in parallel.
• Efficiency: The primary tanks are designed to remove approximately 60% of TSS and 30-35% of BOD, significantly reducing the organic load on the biological stage.
• Sludge Handling: Primary sludge is pumped directly to the gravity thickeners.

C. Secondary Treatment

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The core biological treatment is achieved via a Conventional Activated Sludge process.

• Aeration Basins: The settled wastewater (primary effluent) flows into large aeration tanks. The facility uses a plug-flow configuration where mixed liquor is aerated to support aerobic bacteria consumption of organic matter.
• Aeration System: Air is supplied by high-efficiency turbo blowers and delivered through fine-bubble diffusers installed on the tank floors, ensuring optimal oxygen transfer efficiency (OTE).
• Secondary Clarification: The mixed liquor flows to secondary clarifiers where biological floc settles out. The clear supernatant overflows the weirs as secondary effluent.
• RAS/WAS: Return Activated Sludge (RAS) is pumped back to the aeration tanks to maintain the biomass population, while Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) is removed to control the Mean Cell Residence Time (MCRT).

D. Disinfection

The facility utilizes chemical disinfection to ensure pathogen destruction before discharge.

• Chlorination: Sodium Hypochlorite is added to the secondary effluent in contact tanks to achieve necessary kill rates for fecal coliform/E. coli.
• Dechlorination: To protect aquatic life in the Hackensack River, the effluent is dechlorinated using Sodium Bisulfite to remove residual chlorine prior to the outfall.

F. Solids Handling & Energy Recovery

The BCUA is notable for its comprehensive solids handling and energy recovery systems.

• Thickening: Primary sludge is thickened in Gravity Thickeners. Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) is typically thickened using Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) or gravity belt thickeners to reduce volume.
• Anaerobic Digestion: Thickened sludge is pumped to mesophilic anaerobic digesters. These tanks are heated to ~98°F, breaking down volatile solids and producing methane-rich biogas.
• Biogas Utilization: The biogas is captured, scrubbed (siloxane and H2S removal), and used to fuel the Cogeneration (CHP) engines, providing heat and electricity for the plant.
• Dewatering: Digested sludge is dewatered using high-solids centrifuges to produce a “cake” suitable for transport.
• Disposal: The dewatered biosolids are transported off-site for beneficial reuse or disposal, often utilized in land reclamation or fertilizer production where permitted.

4. INFRASTRUCTURE & FACILITIES

A. Energy Resilience & CHP

The Little Ferry WPCF is a regional leader in energy independence. The facility operates a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant capable of generating approximately 2.8 MW to 4 MW of electricity. The system utilizes biogas produced from the anaerobic digesters, supplemented by natural gas when necessary. This system not only reduces grid dependency but provides thermal energy (waste heat) to heat the digesters and facility buildings.

B. Odor Control

Given the plant’s location near densely populated residential zones and major thoroughfares (Route 17 and I-80), odor control is paramount. The facility utilizes a multi-stage approach including covering primary tanks and utilizing wet chemical scrubbers and activated carbon adsorption units to treat foul air from headworks, thickeners, and dewatering facilities.

5. RECENT UPGRADES & MAJOR PROJECTS

Combined Heat & Power (CHP) and Resiliency Upgrades (2016-2021)

Cost: ~$36 Million
Funding: NJ Energy Resilience Bank (ERB) – The first project funded by this state program.
Scope: Following Superstorm Sandy, BCUA undertook a massive project to ensure the plant could operate independently of the electrical grid.

• Installation of two new 1.5 MW reciprocating cogeneration engines utilizing biogas/natural gas.
• Upgrades to the anaerobic digester gas treatment system to ensure clean fuel for the engines.
• Implementation of a microgrid controller to manage island-mode operation during grid failures.
• Flood-proofing of critical electrical substations and pump stations.

Result: The plant can now self-generate a majority of its power needs and remain fully operational during regional power outages, preventing raw sewage discharge during storm events.

Aeration Blower Optimization

Scope: Replacement of aging centrifugal blowers with high-efficiency turbo blowers.

• Integration of DO (Dissolved Oxygen) control logic to automatically adjust airflow based on real-time biological demand.
• Reduction in energy consumption for the secondary treatment process by approximately 20-30%.

Solids Processing Upgrades (Ongoing)

The BCUA continually invests in the rehabilitation of its gravity thickeners and digestion tanks to maximize gas production and solids reduction. Recent CIP (Capital Improvement Plan) allocations have focused on replacing digester covers and upgrading heat exchangers to improve thermal efficiency.

6. REGULATORY COMPLIANCE

Permit Requirements

The facility operates under NJPDES Permit No. NJ0024015.

• CBOD5: Monthly average limits typically set around 25 mg/L.
• TSS: Monthly average limits typically set around 30 mg/L.
• Removal Efficiency: Minimum 85% removal for both BOD and TSS.
• pH: Maintained between 6.0 and 9.0 s.u.

Environmental Stewardship

The BCUA Little Ferry plant is a key partner in the health of the Hackensack River Meadowlands. By maintaining strict compliance with effluent standards, the Authority supports the return of diverse aquatic life to the estuary. The facility also manages a rigorous Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP) to monitor and permit industrial dischargers within the service area, preventing toxic shocks to the biological process.

7. OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

The facility is staffed 24/7 by a team of NJDEP-licensed operators, maintenance mechanics, electricians, and laboratory technicians. The on-site laboratory is certified by the NJDEP Office of Quality Assurance, performing daily compliance testing and process control analysis. The BCUA utilizes a comprehensive SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system that provides real-time monitoring of thousands of data points, allowing for automated control of pumps, blowers, and chemical feed systems.

8. CHALLENGES & FUTURE PLANNING

Aging Infrastructure

Like many facilities in the Northeast, the Little Ferry WPCF manages assets dating back to the 1950s and 70s. The Authority maintains an aggressive Asset Management Plan to prioritize the rehabilitation of concrete structures, pipe galleries, and electrical distribution systems.

Climate Resilience

Located in a low-lying tidal area, the plant faces threats from sea-level rise and storm surge. Future planning integrates higher flood elevations for all new construction. The Authority is also exploring further diversification of renewable energy, including potential expansion of solar photovoltaic arrays.

PFAS and Emerging Contaminants

The BCUA is closely monitoring developing regulations regarding PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in wastewater and biosolids. Future master planning may need to account for advanced treatment technologies if strict limits are imposed on effluent or biosolids land application.

9. COMMUNITY & REGIONAL IMPACT

The BCUA serves as an economic engine for Bergen County, providing the essential infrastructure required for development and commerce. The Authority actively engages with the community through school tours, environmental education programs, and hazardous waste collection events hosted at the facility grounds. Their partnership with the Hackensack Riverkeeper organization underscores a commitment to transparency and ecological restoration.

10. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS SUMMARY

11. RELATED FACILITIES

Edgewater Water Pollution Control Facility: The BCUA also operates a smaller secondary treatment plant in Edgewater, NJ, with a capacity of approximately 6 MGD, serving the Hudson River waterfront communities.

Remote Pumping Stations: The Little Ferry plant is supported by a network of major pump stations throughout the county that lift sewage from lower elevations into the gravity interceptors feeding the plant.

12. FAQ SECTION

Technical Questions

1. What is the peak hydraulic capacity of the Little Ferry WPCF?
While the design capacity is 109 MGD, the plant can hydraulically pass significantly higher flows during wet weather events, utilizing peak flow management strategies, though biological treatment efficiency is optimized at design flows.

2. How does the BCUA handle biosolids?
Biosolids are thickened, anaerobically digested to reduce volatile solids and pathogens, and then dewatered via centrifuges. The resulting cake is hauled off-site for beneficial reuse or disposal.

3. Does the facility have nutrient removal limits?
The current permit focuses on BOD and TSS removal. However, like many plants discharging to estuaries, the BCUA monitors nutrients (Nitrogen/Phosphorus) closely in anticipation of future regulatory tightening regarding eutrophication in the Hackensack River.

4. What is the CHP capacity?
The Combined Heat and Power system includes two 1.5 MW engines, capable of providing the majority of the plant’s electrical load.

Public Interest Questions

5. Why do I sometimes smell odors near the plant?
Wastewater treatment naturally generates odors. The BCUA employs extensive scrubbers and carbon filters to capture these odors. Occasional odors may occur during maintenance activities or extreme weather changes, but the Authority maintains a hotline for community feedback.

6. Can I tour the facility?
Yes, the BCUA typically arranges tours for schools, universities, and professional groups upon request to educate the public on the water cycle and environmental protection.