Portsmouth Wastewater Web Page Home (portsmouthwastewater.com)On March 7, 2016, the City Council will be asked to bond up to $75 million in project costs to upgradethe Peirce Island Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF). The City Council passed first reading of thisbond resolution on February 16, 2016. The City presents below answers to frequently asked questions.The City also recommends review of the materials available on the Resources page.Frequently Asked QuestionsWhy we are Building at Peirce IslandQuestion: Why are we required to upgrade the Peirce Island WWTF?The existing chemically enhanced wastewater treatment technology at the WWTF does not meet theFederal Clean Water Act requirements for secondary level treatment. Although the City was provided awaiver from the Clean Water Act to operate as a primary treatment facility from 1985 to 2007, the City isrequired by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to upgrade at this time. The City entered into aConsent Decree with the EPA that requires this upgrade and stipulates the timeframe for the upgrade.Question: Can we build a facility at the Pease International Tradeport?The City investigated the option multiple times. As part of the Citys Wastewater Master Planningprocess begun in 2008 and completed in 2010, the City evaluated whether to expand the Pease WWTFand convert the Peirce Island WWTF infrastructure to a wet weather facility as an alternative toupgrading the Peirce Island WWTF to provide secondary treatment. In the draft wastewater masterplan report submitted to EPA, the City identified the Pease WWTF expansion and Peirce Island conversionas the preferred alternative. That Pease option included an extended schedule past 2020 to complete. Inshort, the EPA rejected the Pease option because of the extended schedule to complete. The EPArecommended that the City move expeditiously to upgrade the Peirce Island WWTF to secondarytreatment standards. The City Council subsequently agreed to this approach.In late 2014 and early 2015 the City reconsidered the Pease Wastewater option. The study concludedthat the approach was feasible but the costs to pursue the Pease option would be $41.3 Million to $47.8Million more to implement due to piping and pumping needs. In addition, because downtownPortsmouth has a combined collection system (stormwater and sewer in the same pipe) the Peirce IslandWWTF would remain on Peirce Island for the foreseeable future. On May 18, 2015, the City Council votedto proceed with the planned Peirce Island WWTF upgrade after taking into consideration life cycle costs,potential construction impacts and regulatory complexities.Project Components, Aesthetics and PerformanceQuestion: Will the system treat nitrogen?Yes. The new treatment system will include a biological treatment technology called a Biological AeratedFilter (BAF). This system has been designed to remove total nitrogen to a minimum of 8 milligrams perliter (mg/L) on a seasonal basis from May through October and a monthly average of 8 mg/L totalnitrogen from June through October each year. The system design allows it to treat to lower levels downto 3 mg/L total nitrogen without expanding the plant any further than the existing fence line if suchlower levels of treatment are required in future wastewater permits

Question: Will this system meet current and future permits?Yes, the treatment facility upgrade will comply with secondary treatment standards, which the City isrequired to meet by the EPA and the Citys Consent Decree with the EPA. The treatment facility willinclude nitrogen removal and will meet future permits for nitrogen.Question: What will the project look like when it is complete?All completed facilities will be within the limits of the existing fence line at the WWTF. See the site planbelow. Two existing facilities (Shapleigh Island end of the site) will be demolished for construction of newfacilities. There will be two new buildings on the site, one at the entrance to the facility and one near theShapleigh Island side of the site. The majority of the buildings will have a brick exterior with architecturalfeatures. There will be temporary construction measures that require portions of the existing fence to beremoved and some trees to be replaced. There are plans for significant landscaping that will incorporatea layered landscape plan with trees and shrubs and exterior crawling ivy type plants to soften the faade.See the rendering below with a vantage point from Pleasant Point.

See Attached Site Plan See Attached Rendering

Question: Will it be within the existing fence line?Yes, all completed facilities will be within the limits of the existing fence line at the WWTF. These facilitiesare designed to treat total nitrogen down to 3 mg/L. See the site plan below.

See Attached Site PlanQuestion: Will there be landscaping?Yes, the City has included in the treatment facility upgrade a significant amount of landscaping. Duringconstruction, there will be impacts on the periphery of the existing fence line and these impacts will bemitigated with a layered landscaping plan that incorporates native shrubs and trees. In addition, as partof the natural resource permitting, the City will perform a limited invasive species removal program thatincludes post construction monitoring of regrowth.Question: How high will the BAF building be?The new BAF Building will be the most visible and is located on the Shapleigh Island side of the site. Theproposed building will be approximately 25 ft above existing grade as determined by vote of the CityCouncil on May 19, 2014. This is 8 ft higher than the existing building that is in that location now and willbe demolished. See attached a rendering of the proposed Biological Aerated Filter Building depicted fromthe view from Pleasant Point.

See Attached Rendering

Question: Will the system have more odors?No, the new system includes multiple state of the art odor control systems designed and locatedstrategically to control and minimize the potential for release of odors. The new plant will have lesspotential odors than the existing plant. However, like all wastewater treatment systems, there is apotential for odors from the treatment system.Question: Will the treatment facility flood if sea level rise occurs?No, even under the highest potential flood conditions, the treatment facility will not be flooded. Near thefacility entrance the elevation is 34.0 ft. Near the BAF building on the Shapleigh Island side of the site,the elevation is 21.0 ft. The 100 year flood elevation is 8.23 ft. The Citys Coastal Resiliency Studyidentifies the potential flooding in the area of the South End and Peirce Island and can be seen athttp://www.planportsmouth.com/cri/maps.html.Project CostsQuestion: What it the total project cost?The total project cost is estimated to be $83.8 million. This includes the cost of design engineering,construction and contingency, and construction oversight for the project. See a breakdown of the projectcosts taken from the February 16, 2016 City Council Meeting regarding the first reading of a bondresolution for the project.

See Attached Cost SummaryQuestion: Are the costs of roadway impacts included?No, the roadway (hauling route) costs are not included in the project. There is normal wear and tearoccurring on the Citys roadways every day. This includes construction traffic and other large vehiclesthat are open to use the Citys streets. The Department of Public works evaluates the condition of theCitys streets annually using a Pavement Condition Index (PCI). The PCI is used to plan for roadwayrehabilitation and replacement programmatically through the Citys Capital Improvements Plan. Repairsand improvements to these streets will be assessed in the manner outlined above. This is consistent withthe approach used for other City construction projects such as the Library and Middle School.Question: Are the costs of the Peirce Island Road Bridge included?Yes, the cost of the maintenance project is included in the project cost. The Peirce Island Road Bridge hasexceeded its intended service life and it has been recommended that the City plan long term for itsreplacement. The City intends to take advantage of grant funding available through the Department ofTransportations Bridge Aid Program. The City has an application in for this grant funding that isawaiting approval but it is anticipated the funding is not available until after the year 2022. This willprovide 80 percent grant funding to the City and could save the City over $6 million. In order to extendthe life of the bridge to take advantage of the State funding and to address its aged condition, the City ismoving forward with a maintenance project to repair the bridge deck in advance of the WWTFconstruction. It is estimated this project will cost up to $800,000. Moving forward with this work now isnecessary even without the WWTF project; this maintenance will extend the life of the bridge to takeadvantage of the grant funding and prevent the potential need for repairs during construction of the

WWTF. The cost of the bridge maintenance project will be included in the overall cost of the Peirce IslandWWTF project.Question: Are pool house costs included?No, the pool house costs are not included in the project but are identified in the FY 17 CapitalImprovements Plan for FY 2022.Project Schedule, Funding and Next StepsQuestion: How does the City get a contractor for this work?The City selects a contractor to build this project in a two-step process. First, through a publicadvertisement the City requests Prequalification Statements from potential contractors to demonstratetheir experience and financial capability to undertake a project of this size and complexity. The Cityevaluates the submitted statements and identifies contractors that are qualified. In the second step, theproject is advertised for bids and the City provides the plans and specifications for the project to theprequalified contractors. The prequalified contractors prepare their sealed bids for the work and submitthem to the City. The City reviews and evaluates the submitted bids and the construction of the project isawarded to the lowest, prequalified bidder.Question: How long will construction take?The construction documents require that the construction of the project will be substantially completedwithin 47 months of the date that the construction contract between the City and the contractor issigned and fully completed within 51 months. Assuming a contract is signed on July 1, 2016 thesubstantial completion date would be in May 2020 and fully completed by September 2020. BetweenMay and September the Contractor will be completing punch list items, cleanup and other items such aslandscaping.Question: How does the funding process work?The City intends to use both City bond funds and assistance from the State of New Hampshires CleanWater State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). On August 5, 2013, the City Council voted to authorize a bondresolution in the amount of $10 million for the portion of the project cost being paid for through localbond funds. Debt repayment is paid for with sewer use fees. The City plans to borrow up to $75 millionthrough a loan from the CWSRF, and pay the loan back over a 20 year period using funds from the seweruse fees. This will allow the City to lock in a low interest rate for the life of the loan and minimize theimpact on projected sewer user rates. A portion of the funds borrowed from the CWSRF will be forgivenand will not need to be repaid, reducing the cost to the City by approximately $3.75 million. The CityCouncil will vote whether or not to move forward with the authorization of this bond resolution at theMarch 7, 2016 meeting.

Construction ImpactsQuestion: What are the hours that construction will be allowed?As currently allowed for in the Citys Noise Ordinance, construction will be allowed between the hours of7:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. Construction outside of these timeframes will benecessary at certain times during the project. The Contractor will be required to request authorization forwork outside of these hours in advance. Construction will be prohibited on City Holidays without priorapproval by the City.Question: How are construction vehicles being managed?All construction traffic is required to follow specified routes to and from the site. See the designated haulroute plan below. These routes have been selected by the City to minimize the impact of constructionvehicles on traffic Downtown and in the South End.

See Attached Traffic Management PlanConstruction vehicle parking and Contractor staging is prohibited outside of designated areas on PeirceIsland. If the Contractor needs additional space for construction vehicle parking, they will be required tosecure additional parking at a location off of Peirce Island.Question: What will be the impacts during construction?The public impacts of the construction of the WWTF Upgrade project include construction noise duringthe workday, an increase in construction traffic during the workday, temporary loss of public space onPeirce Island, and temporary loss of parking along the construction route and on Peirce Island.Question: How will the construction impacts be managed?Public space and parking that will not be available during construction will be fenced and/or signed off.Temporary paths will be added between the Four Tree Island Parking Lot and the Peirce Island Pool toprovide access to the pool during construction. Temporary changes to traffic patterns will be noted withsignage as necessary.Question: How much noise will construction make?The contractor will be required to comply with the Citys Noise Ordinance, which allows constructionbetween the hours of 7:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. As allowed for in the Citys NoiseOrdinance, construction outside of those hours may occur with prior approval by the City. It is anticipatedthat construction outside of these timeframes will be necessary at certain times during the project. TheContractor will be required to request authorization for work outside of these hours in advance.Construction will be prohibited on City Holidays without prior approval by the City.Question: Will there be blasting for rock excavation?Yes, blasting will be required for rock excavation. The Contractor will be required to adhere to CitysBlasting Ordinance which requires the Contractor to attempt pre- and post-blast surveys and blastmonitoring of private property within 500 feet. Blasting will be halted if blast monitoring shows

vibrations outside of the limits in the City Ordinance. By City Ordinance, blasting will only take placebetween 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M, Monday through Friday.Question: Will the Citys snow dump remain open during construction?Yes, the Contractor will be required to relocate any staged equipment during the winter months so thatthe Citys snow dump can be used for snow removal from the Downtown.Question: Was Using Water Transport of Materials (Barges) Considered?Yes, the Citys consultants investigated using barges as an alternative to trucks to transport materials tothe site of the WWTF. However, it was determined that this would increase the overall cost of the projectby approximately $2 million to $3 million. The contract documents allow any contractor flexibility to usethis as an option during construction if they determine it to be feasible.Recreation ImpactsQuestion: Will the public boat launch remain open?Yes, the public boat launch will be open during the full course of the construction project. There will befewer parking spaces available on the island during construction. Parking in the snow dump area will notbe available and there will be no parking in spaces on the road across from the boat launch parking lot.The City is planning for deck maintenance on the Peirce Island Road Bridge. This will require lane widthrestrictions that may cause temporary impacts to certain size boats to the boat launch. The City willcoordinate with the Recreation Department and Harbor Master and issue Press Releases on this item.Question: Will the off leash dog area remain open?No, the off leash dog area will be closed for the duration of construction. This area is needed forContractor staging and operations. The exact date when this area will be closed is unknown at this pointbut is likely to be soon after the anticipated contract execution date of July 1, 2016. The City will issuefuture press releases on this item. Any areas impacted by the Contractors operations will be restored.Question: Will the walking trails remain open?No, the off leash dog area and trails will be closed for the duration of construction. The exact date whenthis area will be closed is unknown at this point but is likely to be soon after the anticipated contractexecution date of July 1, 2016. The City will issue future press releases on this item. Any areas impactedby the Contractors operations will be restored.Question: Will the public pool remain open?Yes, the public pool will remain open during the course of construction. The WWTF contract documentsrequire that the contractor leave the pool parking lot open through the end of August 2016. The parkinglot will be used by the Contractor for staging and operations for the remainder of construction. Thepublic pool is in need of improvements due to its age and the City is planning for improvement projectsthrough the Capital Improvement Plan such as replacing the liner and drain gutter. The City is alsoinvestigating removal of the pool house and the use of temporary facilities until new facilities can be

planned and constructed. The pool house replacement is currently identified in the FY 17 CapitalImprovements Plan for FY 2022.Question: Will the State Fish Pier activities be impacted?No, the State Fish Pier activities will not be impacted by the Peirce Island WWTF Upgrade project. TheCity is planning for deck maintenance on the Peirce Island Road Bridge and will coordinate theseactivities with the State.Question: Will Four Tree Island remain open?Yes, Four Tree Island will remain open during the course of construction. There will be limited parking onPeirce Island during the course of construction because portions of existing paring areas will be neededfor the Contractors staging and operations. The City is investigating the potential and benefits ofexpanding the Four Tree Island Parking Lot.Environmental ImpactsQuestion: How will work be managed when there are PCBs in the existing materials?PCBs have been identified in materials in only one building at the existing wastewater treatment facility.This was the original building constructed in 1964. A plan to address the PCBs during construction hasbeen prepared and has been submitted to the EPA. PCB containing materials in the one building wherePCBs are present will be removed by a trained specialty hazardous materials abatement subcontractor inaccordance with the EPA approved plan. Areas where PCB removal work is conducted will be isolated tocontain the materials during the work. The removed PCB wastes will be disposed of at licensed PCBchemical waste landfill.Question: Will there be impacts to the River, wetland or other natural resources?No, the upgrade of the wastewater treatment facility will improve the quality of the treated effluentdischarged to the Piscataqua River. The quality of the stormwater runoff from the plant site will beimproved as stormwater treatment is being added as part of the upgrade. There will be minor temporaryimpacts to wetlands during construction, and the City has obtained a wetland permit from the NHDepartment of Environmental Services and is obtaining a NH Department of Environmental ServicesAlteration of Terrain permit. The City has also obtained a permit from the US Army Corps of Engineersfor the project under the Programmatic General Permit. The City has complied with the Federal Section106 Historical Review process related to the existence of Fort Washington on Peirce Island. Duringconstruction, the contractor will prepare and implement a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan. Theexisting treatment facility will remain in operation during the construction period in accordance with thefacilitys NPDES permit.Economic ImpactsQuestion: Will there be a significant impact on businesses?No, the designated haul routes have been identified to minimize the overall impact on the Downtownand the South End. While the additional construction traffic will have an impact it is not anticipated toresult in a significant measurable impact on businesses. In addition, the City anticipates an agreement

with regulators which would allow for an appropriate construction schedule for this project so as toavoid unnecessary evening and night work and thus minimize noise and other impacts to importantevening and weekend cultural and business activities.