By Irene Miller
“Being involved on an ABC [Authority, Board, or Commission] is a really nice way to get involved in things that you’re passionate about, to stay connected to those things in some way even if it’s not a part of your everyday job, or to learn something totally new,” Jason Grottini shared with a group over light refreshments on a weekday evening.
Grottini has been a board member of the State College Borough Water Authority (SCBWA) for 11 years, joining the board as its youngest board member at age 27. After earning a bachelor’s and graduate degree in Environmental Engineering, he now works in the energy sector at Envinity and designs solar projects.
“A fun part of being a board member is you get to make a lot of decision about projects,” Grottini added, noting that he chairs SCBWA’s Facilities Committee which can function in a project management manner at times.
“A fun part of being a board member is you get to make a lot of decision about projects,” Grottini added, noting that he chairs SCBWA’s Facilities Committee which can function in a project management manner at times.
This information was shared with attendees who were gathered at the office of the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County (CBICC) to learn more about the various ABCs in the community and potential volunteer opportunities. The ABC Essentials program is a free, monthly program hosted by the CBICC in partnership with local municipal members. Each month, a different topic is explored; July focused on water – from faucet to flush.
In addition to hearing from a board member of SCBWA, the group also heard from an Executive Director’s point of view. For over 23 years, Cory Miller has served as the Executive Director of the University Area Joint Authority (UAJA), which provides wastewater treatment (also known as water recycling) services to the State College area.
“The Authority needs lots of different people,” Miller told the group. “There is a place for you somewhere.”
When preparing to fill an opening on the UAJA board, Miller reviews the current volunteers and then recommends to the respective appointing municipalities a skill or perspective that may currently be missing from the board. He shared with attendees that the larger size of the board allows a few points of view to shared – from someone versed in the industry to a bus driver, teacher, nurse, prison guard, etc.
UAJA has a total of 10 board members who serve five year terms. Two board members are appointed from each participating municipality and must have residency in that area. However, Miller was careful to note that board members are representing the customer base, not necessarily their respective municipality. Board members meet monthly, may serve on sub-committees or regional committees, set policy, and approve the budget (currently, $16 million). The current UAJA board is composed of the following members:
UAJA board member perks include great conversation starters at parties and free compost, Miller playfully added.
UAJA has a total of 10 board members who serve five year terms. Two board members are appointed from each participating municipality and must have residency in that area. However, Miller was careful to note that board members are representing the customer base, not necessarily their respective municipality. Board members meet monthly, may serve on sub-committees or regional committees, set policy, and approve the budget (currently, $16 million). The current UAJA board is composed of the following members:
- David Lapinski (College Township) – Term expires Jan. 2022
- Brian Dempsey (State College Borough) – Term expires Jan. 2024
- Jonathan Dietz (Ferguson Township) – Term expires Jan. 2021
- Walter Ebaugh (College Township) – Term expires Jan. 2024
- Garry McShea (Harris Township) – Term expires Jan. 2023
- Daniel Guss (Harris Township) – Term expires Jan. 2021
- David Derr (Patton Township) – Term expires Jan. 2021
- Jeffrey Nucciarone (Patton Township) – Term expires Jan. 2023
- Jeff Bridger (Ferguson Township) – Term expires Jan. 2021
- Thomas Daubert (State College Borough) – Term expires Jan. 2022
UAJA board member perks include great conversation starters at parties and free compost, Miller playfully added.
 |  |
For the SCBWA, there are a total of seven board members. While four board members reside in the Borough of State College and three board members reside within a participating municipality, all board members are ultimately appointed by the Borough of State College. Members serve a five year term, attending monthly meetings; additionally, they serve on at least one committee that typically meets quarterly. Currently, SCBWA board members include:
Both SCBWA and UAJA emphasized local collaboration.
- Jeffrey Kern (State College Borough) – Term expires 2021
- Rachel Brennan (Halfmoon Township) – Term expires 2020
- Gary Petersen (Ferguson Township) – Term expires 2021
- Emory Enscore (State College Borough) – Term expires 2019
- Bill Burgos (State College Borough) – Term expires 2020
- Bernard Hoffnar (State College Borough) – Term expires 2022
- Jason Grottini (Harris Township) – Term expires 2023
Both SCBWA and UAJA emphasized local collaboration.
“When somebody is going to dig a hole, we all try to jump in there,” explained Miller.
The goal being fewer disruptions to local traffic, less time and money spent opening up roadways, and an overall more strategic approach to infrastructure upgrades and maintenance.
“Any chance we get to piggyback, we do,” echoed Grottini.
The goal being fewer disruptions to local traffic, less time and money spent opening up roadways, and an overall more strategic approach to infrastructure upgrades and maintenance.
“Any chance we get to piggyback, we do,” echoed Grottini.
 |  |
Each authority is also relying on their staff and board to set the bar high, regularly exceeding industry standards.
“Spring Creek is like a sacred creek,” Miller shared with the group. “You don’t put anything in it but water,” so the treatment regimen that UAJA undertakes is incredibly rigorous.
UAJA’s tactics have outpaced both the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with regards to Chesapeake Bay Watershed standards and other regulations. This forethought helps to streamline the budgeting process by anticipating required upgrades, thinking ahead to future rounds of requirements, and incorporating more time to plan and pay for upgrades that can withstand multiple years of increasingly stringent requirements.
In 2001, for example, chlorine treatment was halted in favor of UV disinfection after it was found that chlorine can be very detrimental to the native trout population. Now, UV disinfection is being phased out in favor of ozone treatment.
Although Miller stated that the treated water can be cleaner than even bottled water, the DEP will not designate it as drinking water (currently, only Texas allows this designation). Therefore, alternative uses have been found for this recycled – and inexpensive – water: golf course watering systems, Gordon D. Kissinger Meadow project on Branch Road, and it may soon be used to powder local ski slopes.
“Spring Creek is like a sacred creek,” Miller shared with the group. “You don’t put anything in it but water,” so the treatment regimen that UAJA undertakes is incredibly rigorous.
UAJA’s tactics have outpaced both the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with regards to Chesapeake Bay Watershed standards and other regulations. This forethought helps to streamline the budgeting process by anticipating required upgrades, thinking ahead to future rounds of requirements, and incorporating more time to plan and pay for upgrades that can withstand multiple years of increasingly stringent requirements.
In 2001, for example, chlorine treatment was halted in favor of UV disinfection after it was found that chlorine can be very detrimental to the native trout population. Now, UV disinfection is being phased out in favor of ozone treatment.
Although Miller stated that the treated water can be cleaner than even bottled water, the DEP will not designate it as drinking water (currently, only Texas allows this designation). Therefore, alternative uses have been found for this recycled – and inexpensive – water: golf course watering systems, Gordon D. Kissinger Meadow project on Branch Road, and it may soon be used to powder local ski slopes.
Over at SCBWA, the team is using technology for improvements on several fronts. Grottini reported that all hydrants are being mapped with GIS and digital logs are kept of all activity for each hydrant. He also shared that meter reading is now done by using radio waves to collect data remotely, rather than physically scanning a meter and then driving to the next one to repeat the time-consuming process.
“Redundancy,” was the key word that Grottini wanted to impart to the group while discussing the new $24 million water treatment plant on Nixon Road. He shared that not only was the plant designed ahead of DEP regulations, but it would be built to match the current plant so that parts could easily be borrowed and the systems would run in the same manner. It is also being designed with accessibility (for student tours) and sustainability (solar energy usage) in mind.
“Redundancy,” was the key word that Grottini wanted to impart to the group while discussing the new $24 million water treatment plant on Nixon Road. He shared that not only was the plant designed ahead of DEP regulations, but it would be built to match the current plant so that parts could easily be borrowed and the systems would run in the same manner. It is also being designed with accessibility (for student tours) and sustainability (solar energy usage) in mind.
 |  |
Solar energy is a growing part of UAJA’s portfolio as well. Miller shared that after another planned phase of installed solar panels is completed, solar energy will account for 65% of UAJA’s energy consumption. This will help with budget costs since the authority is a large energy consumer, accounting for $800,000 or more of the annual budget.
The consumption and cost of water was another topic of conversation for the group.
Grottini explained that SCBWA was allowed to draw up to eight million gallons per day (MGD). The current services area covers State College Borough and Benner, College, Ferguson, Harris, Halfmoon, and Patton Townships; this service area includes over 75,000 people and nearly 15,000 customer connections. Currently, the daily demand is not quite five MGD and can reach a peak of six MGD during community events like football weekends.
Grottini explained that SCBWA was allowed to draw up to eight million gallons per day (MGD). The current services area covers State College Borough and Benner, College, Ferguson, Harris, Halfmoon, and Patton Townships; this service area includes over 75,000 people and nearly 15,000 customer connections. Currently, the daily demand is not quite five MGD and can reach a peak of six MGD during community events like football weekends.
“It’s always astonishing to us that our water usage is not increasing even as the population continues to grow – and that the water usage per customer is decreasing,” Grottini marveled, adding that more efficient home appliances are just one factor contributing to this phenomenon.
Pat Vernon raised a point regarding the different billing systems that are used within SCBWA’s participating municipalities. For Vernon, a flat rate in the townships did not strike him as an incentive to be more conscious of water consumption, while the State College Borough’s billing system based on the amount of water consumed would motivate him to personally be more conscious of his water usage.
Pat Vernon raised a point regarding the different billing systems that are used within SCBWA’s participating municipalities. For Vernon, a flat rate in the townships did not strike him as an incentive to be more conscious of water consumption, while the State College Borough’s billing system based on the amount of water consumed would motivate him to personally be more conscious of his water usage.
“The tapping fee is currently $5,370 per equivalent dwelling unit [EDU],” Miller explained in regards to a new customer entering the UAJA system. “The ‘other local municipal fees’ are the State College Borough tapping fee, which is $2,575 per EDU.”
The customer may not see these fees, as they are typically paid by the developer.
The customer may not see these fees, as they are typically paid by the developer.
The evening ended with two myth busting questions.
Karl Mierzejewski asked about what happens to the sewer system when it rains. Can sewage leak out?
Miller helped set the record straight for the group: while all sewer systems leak because they are not pressurized and run on gravity, the leaks (rainwater) come from the outside and leak in to the system via the joints.
Since stormwater can be more expensive to treat, a UAJA team is dedicated to locating and fixing leaks to keep the system running as efficiently and inexpensively as possible. This is a big job, considering there are 250 miles of sewer lines and over 34,000 EDUs.
Karl Mierzejewski asked about what happens to the sewer system when it rains. Can sewage leak out?
Miller helped set the record straight for the group: while all sewer systems leak because they are not pressurized and run on gravity, the leaks (rainwater) come from the outside and leak in to the system via the joints.
Since stormwater can be more expensive to treat, a UAJA team is dedicated to locating and fixing leaks to keep the system running as efficiently and inexpensively as possible. This is a big job, considering there are 250 miles of sewer lines and over 34,000 EDUs.
And, what about the smell near UAJA’s campus in College Township just off Shiloh Road? This is what was on Joleen Hindman’s mind.
Miller shared that the smell was an unanticipated consequence of DEP’s initial Chesapeake Bay regulations – no one in the industry had tested the prescribed treatment specifically to see if it caused an odor. Happily, Miller added that this October there should be some relief as a new $10 million odor control project begins operating.
If you would like to join the conversation, please click here to view the 2019 ABC Essentials schedule or visit cbicc.org to sign-up for the next session (August 21 – Airport Authority). To become a volunteer on an ABC, please inquire with your municipality of residence about current openings.
ABC Essentials is sponsored by Maher Duessel.
Miller shared that the smell was an unanticipated consequence of DEP’s initial Chesapeake Bay regulations – no one in the industry had tested the prescribed treatment specifically to see if it caused an odor. Happily, Miller added that this October there should be some relief as a new $10 million odor control project begins operating.
If you would like to join the conversation, please click here to view the 2019 ABC Essentials schedule or visit cbicc.org to sign-up for the next session (August 21 – Airport Authority). To become a volunteer on an ABC, please inquire with your municipality of residence about current openings.
ABC Essentials is sponsored by Maher Duessel.
 |  |
