Dundee Water Resources Recovery Facility Improvements

What Was the Challenge?

The Village of Dundee’s 0.30 MGD Wastewater Treatment Plant, originally built in 1968, faced significant operational, structural, and regulatory challenges. Many of its assets had exceeded their useful life, resulting in rising maintenance costs and reduced treatment reliability. More stringent SPDES permit requirements, including year-round nitrogen and phosphorus limits and mandatory effluent disinfection, required major process upgrades to protect Big Stream, a tributary to Seneca Lake. Frequent ammonia exceedances, aging lagoon systems, and deteriorating equipment underscored the need for a comprehensive, long-term solution that the Village could afford.

How did Barton & Loguidice Provide a Solution?

B&L assisted the Village with preparing a Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) and successfully secured a robust funding package, including CDBG, WQIP, WIIA, and USDA RD grants totaling $10.3 million, along with a 30-year 0% interest EFC loan. These combined resources made the large-scale upgrades financially achievable for the community.

B&L provided full design, bidding, and construction phase services for the program, which began construction in July 2023. Major improvements include a new headworks facility with fine screening and grit removal, new influent pumps, and conversion to continuous-flow sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) equipped for biological nutrient removal. Additional upgrades include premium-efficiency aeration blowers with automated controls, tertiary cloth disk filtration, UV disinfection, new aerobic digesters, new sludge transfer pumps and dewatering screw press, and construction of a new biosolids composting facility. Plant-wide SCADA upgrades, decommissioning of outdated processes, and sewer system rehabilitation further modernize the system. Substantial completion was reached in August 2025.

Why Was This Project a Success?

This project provides the Village of Dundee with a modern, reliable wastewater treatment system capable of meeting stringent nutrient limits and year-round disinfection requirements. The upgrades enhance environmental protection for Big Stream and Seneca Lake, improve operational efficiency, and reduce long-term maintenance costs. By securing significant grant funding on behalf of the Village, B&L ensured that critical water-quality improvements were achievable and financially sustainable. Upon completion, the upgraded facility will deliver consistent performance, improved biosolids management, and long-term regulatory compliance.