Van Wyck Expressway Stormwater System
Design of stormwater system for widening of 4-mile stretch of urban freeway near JFK Airport in Queens New York.
Project Category: Water & Wastewater
Disbrow Road 1 MG Elevated Water Storage Tank
Disbrow Road 1 MG Elevated Water Storage Tank
Project Features:
- Construction of a 1.0-million-gallon spheroid-type elevated water storage tank to improve system reliability
- Designed to stabilize pressures within the Route 516 Pressure Zone, reducing main breaks and service complaints
- Eliminated reliance on pressure-only pump controls by providing operational storage and pressure buffering
- Improved fire protection capacity without overburdening the Browntown Zone or booster pump station
- Tank sized to meet diurnal demand, peak usage, and fire flow storage requirements
- Integrated with OBMUA’s SCADA system for real-time monitoring and automated pump operation
- Subsurface conditions required soil improvement, addressed through over 160 rammed aggregate piers
- Advanced geotechnical testing performed to optimize foundation design and long-term performance
- Environmental constraints addressed due to historic orchard use and elevated arsenic levels
- Project enhanced overall system resilience, redundancy, and operational efficiency
Key Services:
- Hydraulic modeling and pressure zone analysis
- Site evaluation and selection
- Advanced geotechnical investigations including:
- Seismic piezocone penetration testing
- Flat plate dilatometer testing
- Shear and compression wave velocity testing
- Design oversight for rammed aggregate pier soil improvements
- Structural design of elevated welded steel storage tank and foundation
- Water distribution system design including:
- 16-inch transmission piping
- Distribution system interconnections
- Appurtenant piping and valves
- Environmental assessment and Materials Management Plan for heavy metals
- Electrical, instrumentation, and SCADA integration design
- Site civil design and grading
- Bid phase support and contractor coordination
- Construction administration and inspection services
- Regulatory permitting coordination, including:
- NJDEP Bureau of Safe Drinking Water
- Freehold Soil Conservation District
Flood Mitigation Resiliency Program
Flood Mitigation Resiliency Program
Project Features:
- Regional wastewater treatment facility serving approximately 500,000 residents across 19 municipalities
- 85 MGD design capacity critical to public health, environmental protection, and regulatory compliance
- Facility remained operational during Superstorm Sandy (2012) due to pre-storm planning and on-site cogeneration power
- Flooding from a 12-foot storm surge caused approximately $1.2 million in facility damage, highlighting long-term vulnerability
- Potential full system failure risk estimated at $2 billion in public, environmental, and economic impacts
- Comprehensive flood mitigation strategy developed to prevent future service interruption and environmental contamination
- Construction of reinforced concrete floodwalls protecting treatment and biosolids facilities
- Installation of stormwater and effluent pumping stations to manage flood events
- Expansion of the Co-Generation Facility with additional engines to power critical systems during emergencies
- Project funded through a 90% FEMA grant, with remaining costs financed through the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB)
- Total project value of approximately $215 million
Key Services:
- Flood damage assessment and Facilities Flood Control Report
- FEMA coordination and documentation for reimbursement and mitigation funding
- Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) evaluating restoration, mitigation, operational risk, and service loss
- Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate and mitigate impacts of proposed flood protection measures
- Property boundary and ownership surveys for floodwall alignment and access infrastructure
- Geotechnical investigations for foundation and floodwall design
- Planning, design, and permitting of flood mitigation infrastructure
- Design of reinforced concrete floodwalls, pumping stations, and supporting utilities
- Coordination with NJDEP, FEMA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and local agencies
- Preparation of permits including:
- Waterfront Development (Upland & In-Water)
- Freshwater Wetlands
- Flood Hazard Area
- Section 10 / Section 404 (USACE)
- Treatment Works Approval
- Soil Erosion and Sediment Control
- Integration of resiliency and redundancy into critical wastewater infrastructure
- Protection of public health, regulatory compliance, and long-term system reliability