By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
OLEAN — U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy toured the ailing Olean Water Treatment Plant on River Street Thursday with Mayor Bill Aiello and other local officials.
Brad Kemp, director of the Water and Sewer Department showed Langworthy bays inside the plant where water is treated and has been leaking through a concrete wall. The outside wall showed signs of patches.
The mayor told the 23rd District congressman earlier this year that critical repairs to the 22-year-old water treatment plant was his top priority.
At a press conference held outside the water treatment plant, Langworthy said he had secured $1 million for plant repairs in the House Energy and Water Appropriations Bill.
While the Senate has yet to act on any of the appropriations bills passed by the House, Langworthy said both New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kristin Gillibrand are aware of the Olean water treatment plant issue.
With New York’s senior senator also the majority leader in the Senate, Langworthy said he found it hard to believe the project wouldn’t be in the final Senate appropriations bill.
Langworthy said he expects the Senate to vote on the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill during the lame duck Congress after the election next month.
“This will help the city with a longtime problem and give us the boost we need to make repairs,” Aiello said as he introduced Langworthy at the press conference.
Langworthy said the repairs are needed to prevent a disruption in the city’s water supply to residents and business. “Southern Tier infrastructure has been one of my priorities,” he added.
Kemp said the reconstruction of the walls can be completed without disruption in the water supply.
Since only two of the three bays are in use at any time, one bay can be under reconstruction at a time while the other two bays treat water from Olean Creek.
The city also has water wells to provide drinking water. That water must be treated to remove trichloroethylene, an industrial degreaser that has entered the East Olean aquifer. Air stripping devices on the wells remove the volatile chemicals from the water.
Kemp told the congressman that the water treatment plant came online in 2002. The possibility that the concrete wall may not have cured properly in cold temperatures has not been discounted.
Several patches where there have been leaks are apparent on the outer wall.
Langworthy said rebuilding and strengthening the walls will guarantee a water supply to support the fire service and give the city the opportunity to grow in the future.
“They’ve done a fantastic job of keeping this facility patched up and running,” Langworthy said of Water Department crews.
