Tri Boro Sewer Authority

TBMA is a municipal agency governed by the boroughs of Oakland and Susquehanna Depot. While Laneboro is a customer of TBMA it is not a governing body.

Board of Directors:
Chris Herbert, Chairman
Steve Glover, Co-chairman
Roger Holleran, member
Kevin McKee, member

Office Staff:
Phone 853-4719

Plant Staff:
Phone 853-4206
Joe Schell, Plant Operator
Jamie Koziol, Assistant

About Us:

The Tri-Boro Municipal Authority wastewater treatment plant is proud to serve the boroughs of Susquehanna Depot, Oakland, and Lanesboro.

In 1972 the United States government enacted the Clean Water Act. This act established goals and specific limits for the protection of the nation’s waterways. It also provided for funding for the construction of water pollution control facilities.

In December of 1975 the Tri-Boro wastewater treatment plant began operation. This plant along with pump stations and interceptor sewers was built at a cost of over 2 million dollars with the federal government paying 75% of the costs.

The wastewater collection and conveyance system includes approximately 8.9 miles of old combined and new sanitary sewers and four pumping stations. Susquehanna Depot and Oakland Boroughs are primarily combined systems and each has a regulator chamber which limits flow to the treatment plant by bypassing wet-weather flows to the Susquehanna River. The collection system for Lanesboro is a sanitary system.

The wastewater treatment process consists of flow metering, screening, grit removal, raw wastewater pumping, activated sludge extended aeration, final clarification, disinfections, and sludge holding. This process removes approximately 95% of the pollutants from the wastewater.

At the treatment plant pretreatment by screening, grit removal and comminution prepares the wastewater by reducing the size of large solids that could cause damage to the later processes or equipment. After pretreatment, the wastewater is pumped to the treatment units. In secondary treatment, the wastewater is aerated to biologically convert waste to settleable solids. In clarification, these solids are removed and returned to aeration as activated sludge. Periodically these solids are removed from the system and further treated through aerobic digestion to produce class B biosolids that are then used as a soil conditioner and fertilizer. There are also 6 sludge drying beds, which are planted with reeds which help to remove the water and stabilize the sludge. After clarification the water is disinfected and discharged to the river.

The average daily design flow is 0.5 MGD (million gallons per day) with a peak flow of 1.56 MGD. Annually approximately 138 million gallons of wastewater are collected and treated before being discharged to the Northeast Branch of the Susquehanna River. The average daily flow is approximately 378,000 gallons.

Two full time certified operators run the facility with part-time help as needed. In addition to running the treatment plant, the operators also run the in-house laboratory, inspect and maintain the pump stations and collection system, respond to Pennsylvania One Calls, and collect daily data for the National Weather Service.

How To Keep Costs Down & Help Us Help You

By Larry Travis Jr.

Inflow and Infiltration

One of the main problems with our collection system is I/I (inflow and infiltration). Inflow is the result of direct connections of rain gutters, sump pumps, cellar drains, area drains or storm lines to the sanitary sewer system. Infiltration is the result of groundwater entering the pipes through cracks, poor connections or broken pipes. Excessive I/I during wet weather causes the treatment plant to be hydraulically overloaded and requires the bypassing of untreated flow to the river.

By disconnecting roof and cellar drains from the sewer, rerouting sump pumps, placing caps on cleanouts and repairing broken lines, you can help reduce the hydraulic overload to the treatment plant.

Fats, Oil and Grease

Sewer overflows and backups can cause health hazards, damage home interiors, and threaten the environment. An increasingly common cause of overflows is sewer pipes blocked with grease. Grease gets into the sewer from household drains as well as from poorly maintained grease traps in restaurants and other businesses.

Grease is a byproduct of cooking and is found in things such as meat fats, cooking oil, shortening, butter food scraps, and dairy products.

Often grease is washed into the plumbing system usually from the kitchen sink. As the grease goes down the drain it cools off and begins to stick to the inside of the pipes. Over time the grease can build up and block the entire pipe which can result in a backup into the home or in the street.

The easiest way to solve the grease problem and prevent overflows is to keep the material from entering the sewer system in the first place.

There are several easy ways to prevent this:
Never pour grease down the sink or toilet.
Scrape grease and food scraps from plates, pots, and pans into a can or the trash.
Pour leftover cooking oil into a jar or other container and dispose in the trash.
Do not put grease or meat scraps in the garbage disposal.

Clean water is everyone’s business and with your help we can help to keep our waterways clean and also reduce operating costs.

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To contact us:
Susquehanna Borough
83 Erie Blvd., Suite A
Susquehanna, PA 18847
Phone: 570-853-3235
Fax: 570-853-5080