Essex County Utilities Authority Newark

1. INTRODUCTION

The Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC) Newark Bay Treatment Plant is a cornerstone of environmental infrastructure in the Northeast United States. As one of the largest wastewater treatment facilities on the East Coast and the fifth largest in the nation, it possesses a design flow of 330 million gallons per day (MGD) and serves a densely populated, highly industrialized 81-square-mile service area. Operated by PVSC, a state agency created in 1902 to clean up the pollution of the Passaic River, this facility is critical to the ecological health of the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary.

The plant is distinguished not only by its massive hydraulic capacity—capable of handling peak flows exceeding 720 MGD during wet weather events—but also by its engineering resilience. Following catastrophic flooding during Superstorm Sandy in 2012, the facility became a national case study in climate adaptation, currently executing over $600 million in grid-independent power and flood protection upgrades. It stands as a model for operating high-rate activated sludge systems within a complex Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) network.

Read moreBroward County North District Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant

2. FACILITY OVERVIEW

A. Service Area & Coverage

The PVSC facility serves the “Passaic Valley Sewerage District,” encompassing 48 municipalities. This includes major urban centers such as Newark, Paterson, Jersey City, and Bayonne. The service area is a mix of high-density residential zones, heavy industrial corridors, and commercial districts. The collection system is vast, comprising over 22 miles of major interceptor sewers (up to 12 feet in diameter) owned by PVSC, which receive flow from municipal collection systems. A significant portion of the service area utilizes Combined Sewer Systems (CSS), necessitating robust wet-weather flow management strategies.

B. Operational Capacity

The plant is designed for an average daily flow of 330 MGD. However, historical trends show an actual average daily flow fluctuating between 220 and 260 MGD depending on annual precipitation. The hydraulic peaking factor is significant due to the combined sewers; the plant can hydraulically pass up to 720 MGD through primary treatment and disinfection to mitigate combined sewer overflows. The facility generally operates at approximately 70-75% of its biological design capacity, providing buffer room for future regional growth and industrial inputs.

C. Discharge & Compliance

Treated effluent is discharged into the Upper New York Bay via a deep-water outfall. The discharge is regulated under the New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES). The facility faces strict limitations on Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Carbonaceous Biochemical Oxygen Demand (CBOD), and increasingly, nutrients. The receiving waters are classified as saline estuarine waters, and the plant’s performance is pivotal for the dissolved oxygen profile of the Newark Bay complex.

3. TREATMENT PROCESS

The Newark Bay Treatment Plant utilizes a pure oxygen activated sludge process, selected for its ability to treat high-strength waste in a smaller footprint than conventional aeration.

A. Preliminary Treatment

Raw influent enters the plant through the main pumping station, where it is lifted to the headworks. The facility employs mechanically cleaned bar screens to remove large debris, protecting downstream pumps. Following screening, flow enters aerated grit chambers where inorganic solids (sand, gravel, cinders) settle out. The grit is washed, dewatered, and disposed of off-site to sanitary landfills. Effective grit removal is critical here due to the combined sewer system, which transports significant street runoff.

B. Primary Treatment

The flow proceeds to 12 large circular primary clarifiers. These tanks reduce the velocity of the wastewater, allowing settleable organic solids to drop to the bottom as primary sludge, while grease and oils float to the surface for skimming. The primary treatment stage is designed to remove approximately 60% of TSS and 30-35% of BOD. During extreme wet weather events exceeding secondary capacity, excess flow may receive primary treatment and disinfection before blending, though the goal is maximizing full secondary treatment.

C. Secondary Treatment (UNOX System)

The core of the PVSC treatment train is the High Purity Oxygen (HPO) Activated Sludge process (proprietary UNOX design). The system consists of covered, multi-stage aeration basins.

• Oxygen Generation: The plant utilizes Cryogenic Air Separation units to generate pure oxygen on-site.
• Bioreactors: The covered tanks maintain a high partial pressure of oxygen, facilitating high Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids (MLSS) concentrations and rapid BOD degradation. This is essential for treating industrial loads and managing space constraints in the urban footprint.
• Secondary Clarification: The mixed liquor flows to 12 rectangular secondary clarifiers where the biological floc settles. Return Activated Sludge (RAS) is recycled to the head of the aeration tanks, while Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) is sent for processing.

D. Disinfection

Effluent disinfection is achieved using Sodium Hypochlorite (15% solution). The plant utilizes large contact tanks to ensure adequate detention time for pathogen inactivation (targeting Fecal Coliform and Enterococci) prior to discharge. Due to the receiving water characteristics, dechlorination is generally not required, though residuals are closely monitored.

E. Solids Handling

PVSC has historically been known for using Wet Air Oxidation (Zimpro units), but operations have evolved.

• Thickening: Primary sludge is gravity thickened; waste activated sludge is thickened via Gravity Belt Thickeners (GBT) or centrifuges.
• Dewatering: The blended sludge is dewatered using high-solids centrifuges to produce a “cake” with 25-28% solids.
• Disposal: The facility processes approximately 500-600 wet tons of biosolids daily. Currently, the dewatered cake is transported off-site for beneficial reuse or incineration at external merchant facilities.

F. Process Control

The facility operates via a distributed SCADA system, monitoring thousands of I/O points including Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels, Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP), and pump statuses. A central Operations Command Center overlooks the facility, staffed 24/7 by licensed operators.

4. INFRASTRUCTURE & FACILITIES

A. Physical Plant

The site spans approximately 140 acres in the industrial Ironbound section of Newark. It includes massive influent headers, an extensive utility tunnel network, administration buildings, and maintenance shops. The architecture is strictly industrial, dominated by the rectangular geometry of the clarifiers and the cryogenic oxygen generation towers.

B. Energy Systems & Resiliency

Energy consumption is the plant’s second-highest operating cost. The facility is transitioning to a self-sufficient microgrid. The “Standby Power Generation Facility” (SPGF) is a critical asset, designed to run the entire plant independently of the utility grid. It utilizes dual-fuel (natural gas/diesel) turbine generators capable of producing over 34 MW, ensuring that treatment continues even during regional blackouts.

C. Odor Control

Given its location near residential zones and major highways (NJ Turnpike), odor control is paramount. PVSC employs packed tower wet scrubbers and activated carbon adsorption systems, particularly at the headworks and sludge processing buildings, to mitigate hydrogen sulfide and mercaptan emissions.

5. RECENT UPGRADES & MAJOR PROJECTS

6. REGULATORY COMPLIANCE & ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

Permit Requirements: The facility operates under NJPDES Permit No. NJ0021016. Key parameters include:

• TSS & CBOD: 85% removal minimum (monthly average).
• Effluent BOD: Typically capped around 25-30 mg/L (monthly avg).
• Nutrients: Monitoring for Nitrogen and Ammonia is mandatory; strict limits are anticipated in future permit cycles as part of the Long Island Sound and NY/NJ Harbor TMDL studies.

Compliance History: PVSC generally maintains a strong compliance record regarding effluent quality. However, like many regional utilities, challenges arise regarding CSO events. PVSC is a key partner in the “Long Term Control Plan” (LTCP) to reduce combined sewer discharge volumes and frequency.

7. CHALLENGES & FUTURE PLANNING

Climate Adaptation: Located at sea level on the edge of Newark Bay, the primary engineering challenge is climate change. The resiliency projects currently underway are vital for survival against rising tides and more frequent severe storms.

Aging Infrastructure: Portions of the main interceptor sewer date back to 1924. Rehabilitation of these large-diameter brick and concrete sewers is an ongoing, capital-intensive necessity requiring trenchless technologies (CIPP, slip lining) to minimize surface disruption in urban Newark.

Solids Disposal Costs: With the closure of local incinerators and landfills, the cost of hauling sludge continues to rise. Future planning involves evaluating advanced thermal drying or hydrolysis technologies to reduce volume and create Class A biosolids.

8. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS SUMMARY

9. FAQ SECTION