Water and Wastewater Pure and simple. Ah, a refreshing glass of water. On the surface, it's filled with nothing but H20. Thinking deeper, you'll see that a lot more has gone into it. Such as protecting the purity of reservoirs, aquifers, wellheads, and springs. Channeling stormwater safely away. Rehabilitating abandoned wells. Upgrading and rehabilitating wastewater treatment plants and returning treated wastewater to the ecosystem, clean and safe. Vigilantly monitoring quality every step of the way. Using hydrogeologic modeling to calculate the impact of proposed development on source water and surrounding terrain. Using GIS to manage complex and voluminous environmental databases. Tailoring solutions for municipalities and water suppliers, and getting clean water to communities, buildings and faucets. Into every refreshing glass of water goes a lot of deep thinking.
Water SupplySafe drinking water starts at the source. Before you can protect your drinking water, you need to know where it comes from. The first step in developing a source water protection plan is identifying the source area for the water supply. We work closely with the water supplier and community representatives to identify ways of protecting these areas. We identify potential sources of contamination, develop protective management strategies, plan for emergencies, and identify new water supply options. Our professionals delineate protective zones around each well or surface water intake to show the areas that contribute to the drinking water supply.
Why is source water protection important?Public Health Protection - Minimize threats to public health by keeping harmful contaminants out of the water supply.
Reduced Treatment Costs - Clean water is less expensive to treat and reduces system operation and maintenance costs.
Economic Benefits - Clean and plentiful water will enhance your community's potential to attract employers, maintain a healthy economy, and possibly enjoy the benefits of tourism.
Environmental Stewardship - Protecting water resources will sustain the native ecosystem and improve the quality of life for future generations.
Well Rehabilitation. Water is a finite, but renewable resource. SSM hydrogeologists are on the cutting edge of well rehabilitation – proven technology that offers a very cost effective alternative to the environmental delays and drilling associated with new wells. Our processes can help to slow deterioration and even reclaim wells that are out of protection.
Services | Water Supply• Water Planning
• Water Engineering
• Water Treatment Plants
• Distribution and Storage
• Water Supply
• Operations and Administrative Assistance
• Community Relations
• Financial Services
• Management Consulting
Wastewater Collection, Conveyance, and TreatmentWe bring innovation to our designs. The award-winning egg-shaped digester system. One of the first wastewater treatment plants to utilize phased isolation ditch technology in Pennsylvania. But our focus is not the innovation, but the efficiency of the system. Our engineers and designers are experts at controlling costs for our clients, through system repairs and modifications, finding ways to reduce sewage generation, and through innovation. We are very familiar with the wastewater planning process and the interrelationship between subdivision/land development activities, wastewater planning, and on-lot wastewater management. We've been involved with more than 1,000 wastewater studies and revisions. These plans have encompassed a variety of communities and unique situations including regional and joint studies; and essentially all of the plans on which we have provided services have been implemented. Our assistance is provided as part of a team effort with clients to achieve implementable projects from the standpoint of technical as well as financial and institutional considerations.
The requirements for wastewater treatment have evolved. Wastewater treatment is much more challenging and complex from both a construction and an operations viewpoint. Numerous regulations now apply either directly to wastewater treatment or indirectly through regulations such as those for wetlands and archaeological considerations. As wastewater management has evolved, we have also changed to keep pace with it. Our experience includes assignments for both new plants and for upgrading, rehabilitating or expanding existing plants. We have extensive experience in all aspects of the basic elements of any treatment plant: site and regulatory issues, process development from headworks through disinfection, hydraulics, sludge management, and effluent disposal to stream or land. We also have experience with those elements that are particular to specific plants: advanced treatment/nutrient removal, innovative and alternative technology, stormwater management, permitting, energy management, air pollution control, odor control, and instrumentation.
Our team has designed piping systems as small as an extension to serve a 20-lot subdivision to systems containing nearly 100 miles of sewer pipe. Our experience encompasses a small diameter line extension in an open, rural area to large diameter pipes in city streets congested with traffic and a variety of other utilities with tight tolerances to install the pipe. In addition to conventional gravity sewers, our staff has experience with alternative collection systems such as pressure sewers and grinder pumps, septic tank effluent pump systems and small diameter gravity sewers. Our diverse staff provides assistance during large projects, including traffic-related issues and community relations.
Infiltration/Inflow (I/I) is an ongoing concern in many systems and translates into labor and treatment costs, especially when sewage is transferred to another municipality for treatment. We have conducted I/I and sewer rehabilitation programs for numerous projects: implementing projects for sewer line rehabilitation and replacements, plant modifications, storm sewer separation, and removal of downspouts and sump pumps. Other collection system operations include assistance in coping with sewer system flooding, blockages, manhole repairs, and similar activities.
Services | Wastewater Collection, Conveyance, and Treatment• Wastewater Planning
• Wastewater Engineering
• Wastewater Treatment Plants
• Collection Systems
• Infiltration/Inflow
• Pump Stations
• Operations and Administrative Assistance
• Financial Services
• Management Consulting
Industrial WastewaterMake the problem go away. In industrial settings, the goal in addressing wastewater problems is precise and concise: make the problem go away. We have a proven track record for swift and cost-effective solutions. We look at the entire system for process, pretreatment, and maintenance alternatives. We identify opportunities to eliminate or reduce the wastewater stream at its source, and deliver the solution that balances the needs of the system and the bottom line.
Services | Industrial Wastewater• Permitting Negotiations, Application Preparation
• Feasibility Studies, Modeling, and Evaluation
• Design Engineering
• Troubleshooting
• Residuals Management
• Treatability Studies
• Construction Services
• Health and Safety Plans
• Hazardous Waste Management